fmtximmmm' 


ColutttWa  5Bnit)ers^ftp 

THE  LIBRARIES 


HISTORY 


OF    THE 


BIG  SPRING  PRESBYTERY 


OF    THE 


UNITED  PRESBTTERIAN  CHURCH, 


AND 


TS  TERRITORIAL  PREDECESSORS, 


1750-1879. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  PRESBYTERY. 


Hy\RFISRURG,  PA.: 

PaTR.OI    )'U3JJ^H(i*iG    COMPANY. 

1879. 


PREFACE. 


The  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring  at  its  meeting  in  Mexico,  Octo- 
ber 1,  1878,  passed  the  following  resolution  : — 

Resolved,  That  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring  do  hereby  request  the  Rev. 
J.  B.  ScoiiUer  to  prepare  a  hietory  of  this  Presbytery,  and  in  case  of  his 
tmdertaking  the  work,  the  sketches  of  congregations  shall  be  forwarded  to 
him. 

In  accordance  with  this  request,  an  attempt  has  been  made  to 
narrate  briefly,  not  merely  the  history  of  the  Presbytery  of  Big 
Spring,  but  of  all  the  churches,  whether  Reformed  Presbyterian,  or 
Associate,  or  Associate  Reformed,  or  United  Presbyterian,  "svhicli 
have  existed  or  do  still  exist  within  the  territorial  bounds  of  this 
Presbytery;  for  they  have  been  so  intimately  related  to  each  other 
that  their  histories  cannot  well  be  separated.  The  minutes  of  the 
Presbyteries  which  covered  this  ground  from.  1782  to  1803,  are  lost, 
and  the  subsequent  ones  arc  more  or  less  imperfect.  A  few  con- 
gregations kept  records,  but  the  most  of  them  did  not  until  very 
recently;  and  some  of  the  congregations  dissolved  so  long  ago  that 
few  if  any  are  old  enough  to  remember  them.  All  records,  and  doc- 
uments, and  memoirs,  and  family  papers,  and  family  traditions 
which  could  be  found,  bearing  upon  the  history  of  Scottish  Pres- 
byterianism  between  the  Susquehanna  river  and  the  Allcghen^^ 
mountain,  have  been  carefully  examined,  and  imperfect  and  unsat- 
isfactory as  the  following  history  may  be  in  some  parts,  it  is  still  a 
ox)nsolation  to  believe  that  it  is  more  fall  and  complete  than  could 
have  been  written  at  any  subsequent  period,  for  the  sources  of  in- 
formation are  every  year  becoming  less. 

J.  B.  S. 
Newvtlle,  1\\. 


History  of  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  PLANTING--FROM  1730  TO  1782. 


,'Ssui 


HE  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring  did  not  exist  in  form  and 
name  until  1803,  yet  many  of  its  churches  are  of  older 
date,  and  some  of  them  were  among  the  first  of  the  de- 
nomination. In  1730  the  first  white  settler  crossed  the  Susque- 
hanna river  to  make  his  home  and  to  build  his  fortune  in  the 
Kittatinny  Valley,  the  valley  of  the  Blue  Mountain,  as  that  wide 
and  fertile  valley  was  then  called  by  the  Indians,  which  extends 
from  the  Susquehanna  to  the  Potomac.  AVhen  this  barrier  was 
once  passed,  so  great  became  the  tide  of  immigration,  that  within 
six  years,  a  chain  of  settlements  stretched  from  river  to  river, 
and  in  1751  the  white  inhabitants  in  what  is  now  Cumberland 
and  Franklin  counties  amounted  to  about  five  thousand  per- 
sons. Of  these  not  over  fifty  families  were  German,  who  had 
located  in  the  edge  of  Franklin.  The  others  were  all  from  the 
British  Isles,  and  at  least  two-thirds  of  them  were  from  the 
north  of  Ireland.  A  variety  of  causes  ministered  to  the  rapid 
settlement  of  this  section  of  country  by  the  Irish.  The  land 
was  fertile  and  well  watered  ;  it  was  level  and  inviting ;  the 
bounding  mountains  lay  far  apart,  removing  all  fear  or  sense 
of  crowdincr,  and  the  acreage  of  its  area  exceeded  that  of  their 
own  county  of  Antrim.  Constitutionally  brave  and  fond  of 
adventure,  they  had  no  fear  of  Indians  or  A\ild  beasts,  and 
went  readily  to  the  frontier.  The  Irish  did  not  begin  to  emi- 
grate to  Pennsylvania  till  1719,  but  from  some  causes,  which 


6  HISTORY    OF    THE 

cannot  hers  l)e  well  explained,-  the}'  then  commenced  to  pour  in 
in  such  numbers  that  Secretary  Logan  wrote  in  1729 :  "  It  looks 
as  if  Ireland  is  to  send  all  her  inhabitants  hither,  for  last  week 
not  less  than  six  ships  arrived,  and  every  day  two  or  three  ar- 
rive also.  The  common  fear  is  that  if  they  continue  to  come 
they  will  make  themselves  the  proprietors  of  the  province.  It 
is  strange  that  they  thus  crowd  where  they  are  not  wanted. 
The  Indians  themselves  are  alarmed  at  the  swarms  of  strangers, 
and  we  are  afraid  of  a  breach  between  them,  for  the  Irish  are 
ver}'  rough  to  them."  Tliey  located  mainly  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Susquehanna  river.  In  Lancaster  and  Dauphin  counties, 
settlements  were  first  made  along  theOctorara,  the  Pequea,  the 
Conestosa,  the  Swatara  and  the  other  smaller  streams  which 
empt}'  into  the  Susquehanna  from  the  east.  In  habits  and  dis- 
position they  were  convivial,  quick-tempered  and  belligerent, 
and  soon  became  a  great  annoyance  to  their  peaceable,  phleg- 
matic and  non-resisting  German  and  Quaker  neighbors.  Sec- 
retary Logan  wrote  thus  of  them  in  1730 :  "  I  must  own,  from 
my  own  experience  in  the  Land  Ofiice,  that  the  settlement  of 
five  families  from  Ireland  gives  me  more  trouble  than  fifty  of 
any  other  people."  In  sobriety  of  life  and  gentleness  of  man- 
ners, they  did  not  improve  with  time  and  an  increase  of  num- 
bers, but  rather  presumed  upon  their  numerical  strength  until 
even  the  Quaker  forbearance  of  the  Proprietaries  finally  be- 
came exhausted;  so  that  in  or  about  1750,  the  year  in  which 
Cumberland  county  was  organized,  positive  orders  were  issued 
to  all  the  agents  to  sell  no  more  land  in  either  York  or  Lancas- 
ter county  to  the  Irish  ;  and  to  make  very  advantageous  ©fters 
to  those  of  them  who  would  remove  from  these  counties  to  the 
North  Valley.  These  oflers  were  so  liberal  that  large  numbers 
accepted,  and  built  their  huts  among  the  wigwams  of  the  na- 
tive inhabitants,  whom  they  found  to  be  peaceful,  but  by  no 
means  non-resistant.     New  immigrants  were  also  hurried  on  to 

*"  The  rise  of  rents  and  tithes,  with  several  bad  harvests  (1724^1728), 
and  especially  the  oppressions  of  the  Government,  led  many  to  emigrate  to 
America,  to  which  they  were  solicited  by  agents  from  the  colonies.  Four 
thousand  two  hundred  sailed  in  three  years,  some  selling  themsel^-es  for  four 
years  to  pay  th«ir  passage." — History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  iu  Ire- 
land, by  Alexander,  page  316. 


BIG   SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  7 

the  same  valley,  so  that  the  population  west  of  the  Susrjne- 
hanna  grew  very  rapidly.  The  same  causes  produced  sub- 
ritantially  the  8ame  results  in  the  smaller  valleys  on  the  north 
and  northwest,  and  along  the  water  courses  of  York  and 
Adams  counties. 

The  great  mass  of  the  Irish  that  settled  west  of  the  Susque- 
hanna, between  1780  and  1750,  had  been  reared  in  connection 
with  the  Synod  of  Ulster.  This  must  have  been  so,  for  the 
C/Ovenantcrs  were  not  numerous  in  Ireland,  and  the  Secession 
churches  were  at  this  date  just  being  planted  there.  Knowing 
nothing  about  Dissent,  or  National  Covenants,  these  immi- 
grants brought  no  prejudice  or  bias  which  could  prevent  their 
falling  in  harmoniously  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  already 
organized  here.  Indeed  the  first  Irish  settlers  brought  the 
Presbyterian  Church  with  them,  for  it  was  the  seed  which  they 
sowed  that  produced  that  great  Church  in  this  country.  13ut 
there  were  clusters  of  a  few  families  in  different  localities, 
which  had  been  trained  in  the  faith  and  practices  of  the  Cove- 
nanters. These  could  not,  and  did  not  fraternize  with  the 
Presbyterianism  around  them.  They  met  together  upon  the 
Sabbath,  in  each  others'  houses,  for  social  worship,  and  waited 
the  time  when  an  ordained  ministry  should  bring  to  them  the 
preached  word  and  the  sealing  ordinances.  The  Rev.  Alexan- 
der Craighead,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  strongly  sympa- 
thized with  them  in  their  distinctive  privileges,  and  preached 
frequently  for  those  of  them  that  resided  in  Lancaster  county, 
and  most  probably,  occasionally,  for  those  west  of  the  river. 
Their  hopes  and  desires  were  finally  fully  gratihed  in  the 
arrival  of  the  Rev.  John  Cuthbcrtson  from  Ireland,  although 
a  Scotchman  by  birth  and  training  and  Presbyterial  connec- 
tion. He  landed  at  New  Castle,  Delaware,  on  the  5th  of 
August,  1751,  and  imme<liately  commenced  an  exploration  of 
his  missionary  held.  After  preaching  in  Chester  county, 
and  at  Octorara,  and  Pequea,  and  Paxtang,  he  preached  his 
first  sermwi,  in  the  bounds  of  this  Presbytery,  on  Wednesday, 
the  21st  of  August,  at  Walter  Buchanan's,  near  the  present 
New  Kingston,  midway  between  Carlisle  and  the  river.  His 
text  was.  Proverbs  8:4,  "  Unto  you,  0  men,  I  call ;   and  my 


8  HISTORY    OF    THE 

voice  is  to  the  sons  of  men."  He  also  baptised  Joseph  Glcii- 
deniiing,  John  M'Clelland  and  Jane  Swansie,  infant  cliildren  of 
reaidents  of  that  neighborhood.  The  afternoon  of  the  same 
day,  he  rode  twenty  miles  to  the  house  of  Andrew  Ralston, 
near  the  Big  Spring,  and  on  the  following  morning  preached 
from  Matthew  17:4,  "  Lord  it  is  good  for  us  to  behere."  Imme- 
diately after  services,  he  started  for  the  house  of  James  flitch  ell, 
twenty-tvv'o  miles  distant,  between  Chambersburg  and  Rocky 
Spring.  Here  he  remained  over  the  Sabbath,  and  preached 
twice  that  day,  and  baptised  anumbcr  of  children.  On  Monday 
he  rode  twenty  miles  to  the  house  of  Joseph  Cochran,  in  the 
Cove,  and  on  Wednesday  preached,  and  baptised  some  more 
children.  During  the  remainder  of  tlie  week,  he  traveled 
eastward  to  the  house  of  David  Dinwiddle,  on  Marsh  creek, 
Adams  county.  Spent  the  Sabbath  as  usual  in  preaching  and 
baptizing,  and  on  the  morrow,  started  on  his  return  by  the 
way  of  York,  to  his  headquarters,  on  the  Octorara,  in  Lancas- 
ter county.  After  spending  a  month  on  a  missionary  tour  to 
the  east,  as  far  as  Easton  on  the  Delaware,  he  commenced  a 
second  exploration  through  the  counties  of  Cumberland,  Frank- 
lin, Fulton,  Adams  and  York,  varying  his  course  a  little,  and 
going  as  far  west  as  Licking  creek,  in  Fulton  county.  This 
circuit  he  made  more  or  less  frequently  for  twenty  years.  Of 
the  families  thus  visited,  some  were  Scotch,  but  the  greater 
part,  perhaps  three-fourths,  were  Irish;  and  with  many  of 
them,  he  was  most  probably  previously  acquainted.  At  this 
time,  there  were  only  a  few  congregations  of  Covenanters  in 
Ireland,  and  they  were  so  feeble  as  to  be  without  pastors,  and 
for  the  preached  word  and  ordinances,  were  wholly  dependent 
upon  the  occasional  visit  of  a  Scotch  minister.  Several  years 
before  coming  to  this  country,  Mr.  Cuthbertson  went  over 
from  Scotland  to  Ireland,  and  spent  his  time  in  circulating 
among  the  little  societies  there  as  he  was  now  doing  here,  and 
thus  became  Avell  acquainted  with  all  of  his  faith.  Some  emi- 
grated during  that  time,  so  that  he  met  them  here  as  old  ac- 
quaintances. There  were  now  fully  half  as  many  Sons  of  the 
Covenant  in  this  country  as  were  left  in  Ireland,  so  that  go 
where  he  would  among  them,  he  was  meeting  old  friends,  or 


BIG    SPRING    PRE.-BYTERY.  9 

the  relatives  of  those  whom  he  loft  on  the  otluT  side  ol  the 
sea.  lie  was  thus  specially  fitted  to  be  tlie  apostle  of  Re- 
formed Presbyterianism  in  the  new  world. 

At  some  of  Mr.  Cuthbert&on's  preaching  stations  there  was 
no  meeting  house  for  years,  and  at  others  as  Carlisle,  Big  Spring, 
Ac,  tliey  never  arrived  at  that  attaiitment.  Wlien  the  weather 
allowed,  they  met  in  their  "  tent,"  and  when  it  was  not  propi- 
tious, they  did  tlie  best  they  could  in  their  cabins.  This  "•tent" 
was  pitched  in  a  shady  grove,  and  consisted  simply  in  an  ele- 
vated platform  for  the  minister,  where  he  could  be  seen  and 
heard  by  all ;  a  board  nailed  against  a  tree  to  support  the  Bible  ; 
a  few  rude  benches  for  seats  ;  and  some  boards  overhead  to  pro- 
tect the  speaker  from  sun  and  rain  ;  sometimes  this  shelter  was 
extended  so  as  to  shield  a  part  of  the  congregation.  Thus  ac- 
commodated they  worshiped  for  hours  at  a  time,  and  their 
communion  services  sometimes  lasted  for  nine  hours. . 

On  the  23d  of  August,  1752,  Mr.  Cuthbertson  held  his  first 
comnmnion  in  America.  It  was  at  Stony  Ridge  or  the  "Walter 
Buchanan  or  Junkin  "  tent,"  in  Cumberland  county.  A  pre- 
paratory fast  day  was  observed ;  tokens  of  admission  were  dis- 
pensed ;  the  services  on  the  Sabbath  commenced  early  and  con- 
tinued for  nine  hours.  Mr.  Cuthbertson  paraphrased  the  15th 
Psalm,  and  preachedfrom  John  3:35, "  The  father  loveth  the  son, 
and  hath  given  all  things  into  his  hand."  After  the  sermon 
he  prayed  and  sung,  exjjounded  the  ordinance,  debarred  from  and 
invited  to  the  tables.  The  communicants  came  to  the  table 
singing  the  24th  Psalm.  After  the  four  t^able  services  were 
concluded,  the  minister  exhorted  the  communicants,  prayed 
and  sung.  After  an  interval  of  half  an  hour,  he  preached 
again  from  John  16:31,  ''Jesus  answered  them.  Do  ye  now  be- 
lieve." On  Monday  he  preached  from  Eph.  5:15,  "  See  that  ye 
walk  circumspectly,  not  as  fools,  but  as  wise.'"  About  two 
hundred  and  fifty  persons  communed,  and  this  comprised  very 
nearly  the  entire  number  of  Covenanters  in  this  country,  for  the 
place  was  central,  the  season  pleasant,  and  they  gathered  in 
from  their  different  settlements  in  what  is  now  the  counties  of 
Lancaster,  York,  Dauphin,  Cumberland,  Adams,  Franklin  and 
Fulton.     This  was  the  first  time  that  the  followers  of  Cameron 


12  HISTORY    OF    THE 

the  new  world.  lu  1061,  at  the  re-establishment  of  Episco- 
pacy in  Ireland,  the  newly  appointed  bishops,  with  Jeremy  Tay- 
lor as  their  leader,  turned  all  the  Presbyterian  ministers  out  of 
their  chari^cs,  upon  the  ground  that  they  had  never  been  or- 
dained. This  ignoring  of  Presbyterian  ordination  carried  with 
it  a  denial  of  the  validity  of  any  official  act  performed  by  a 
Presbyterian  minister.  This  was  a  great  grievance,  for  it  de^ 
nied  the  validity  of  all  IVesbyteriau  marriages,  and  brought 
confusion  and  distress  into  families  in  the  matters  of  legiti- 
macy and  inheritance;  and  yet,  in  spite  of  every  effort  and  re- 
monstrance, things  remained  thus  till  1782,  when  marriages 
solemnized  by  dissenting  ministers  were  declared  valid,  pro- 
vided both  parties  belonged  to  the  minister's  church.  In  1704 
the  Sacramental  Test  act  was  passed,  which  required  "all  per- 
sons holding  any  office,  civil  or  military,  or  receiving  any  pay 
or  salary  from  the  crown,  or  having  command  or  place  of  trust 
from  the  sovereign,"  to  take  the  sacrament  in  the  Established 
Church  within  three  months  after  their  appointment. 

This,  of  course,  excluded  all  Presbyterians  from  civil  and 
military  offices  of  every  kind.  From  time  immemorial,  the 
legal  form  of  taking  an  oath  required  the  individual  to  kiss 
the  Bible.  This,  the  Seceders  Avould  not  do  ;  so  they  were  not 
permitted  to  take  an  oath  under  any  circumstances.  And  when 
in  1782,  an  act  was  passed  to  allow  them  to  swear  with  the  uplifted 
hand,  it  was  specially  provided  that  they  should  not  be  qualified 
or  admitted  to  give  evidence  in  any  criminal  cause,  or  serve  on 
juries,  or  hold  any  office  or  employment  of  trust  under  the 
Crown.  "When  we  add  to  such  grievances  and  outrages  as 
these  the  fact  that  there  were  several  bad  harvests  between 
1750  and  1760,  which  produced  actual  famine  in  some  districts, 
is  it  any  wonder  that  so  many  of  these  poor  Seceders  tried  to 
get  to  America?  The  only  wonder  is,  tliat  any  of  them  would 
consent  to  remain  in  Ireland. 

As  early  as  1736,  some  settlers  in  Chester  county  applied  to 
the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Scotland  for  a  supply  of  preaching. 
Other  applications  were  made  from  time  to  time  by  difl:erent 
parties,  but  the  Synod  was  so  pressed  to  supply  the  home  de- 
mand, that  nothing  vras  done  till  1751,  when  James  Hume  and 


BIG    SPRINT,    PREsEYTERY.  13 

John  Jamison  wore  appointe<l  as  missionaries  to  America. 
They  both  failed  to  fulfill  their  appointment ;  so  in  August, 
1752,  Alexander  Gellatly  and  Andrew  Bunyan  were  ordained 
to  this  work.  But  ^Ir.  Bunyan's  heart  failed  him,  and  the  Rev. 
Andrew  Arnott,  of  Midholm,  consented  to  accompany  Mr. 
Gellatly,  with  the  privilege  of  returning  at  the  end  of  a  year. 
They  sailed  in  the  early  summer  of  1753,  and  upon  landing, 
passed  immediately  to  the  eastern  slope  of  the  valley  of  the 
Susquehanna,  and  there,  in  November  of  the  same  year,  they 
constituted  themselves  into  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Penn- 
sylvania, subordinate  to  the  Anti-Burgher  Synod  of  Scotland. 
They  were  at  once  invite<i  by  the  Presbytery  of  N'ewcastle,  of 
the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  them.  This 
was  declined,  and  that  Presbytery  forthwith  issued  a  warning 
to  their  churchee  against  these  men  as  schismatics  and  sepa- 
ratists, and  as  being  heretical  on  the  gospel  offer,  the  nature  of 
faith,  &c.  Mr.  Gellatly  answered  in  a  work  of  240  pages. 
Messrs.  Finley  and  Smith,  of  the  Newcastle  Presbytery,  replied 
and  Mr.  Gellatly  followed  with  another  answer  of  208  pages. 
This  unexpected  controversy  ended  favorably  to  the  Seceders, 
for  it  brought  them  prominently  before  the  public. 

Mr.  Gellatly  settled  at  Octorara  and  Oxford,  and  Mr.  Arnott 
returned  home  in  the  Summer  of  1754;  his  place,  however, 
was  immediately  supplied  by  James  Proudfoot  (now  Proudfit), 
who  continuetl  to  travel  for  four  years  among  the  young 
churches,  l>efore  he  settled  at  Pequea. 

In  1758,  Matthew  Henderson  came  and  settled  at  Oxford  and 
Pencader.  In  1701,  Mr.  Gellatly  died,  and  John  Mason  and 
two  probationers,  Robert  Annan  and  John  Smart,  arrived.  Mr. 
Mason  settled  in  New  York  city,  Mr.  Smart  returned  home, 
and  Mr.  Annan  settled  at  Marsh  creek.  In  1762,  William 
Marshall  came  and  was  soon  ordained  and  installed  at  Deep 
Run  and  Xeshaminy,  in  Bucks  county. 

Up  till  1764  all  the  Associate  ministers  sent  out  from  the 
mother  country  were  from  the  Anti-Burgher  Synod  of  Scot- 
land ;  but  during  that  year  Rev.  Thomas  Clarke  arrived  from 
the  Burgher  Presbytery  in  Ireland,  which  was  subordinate  to 
the  Burgher  Synod  of  Scotland.     Mr.  Clarke  did  not  wish  to 


14  niSTORY    OF    THE 

continue  a  division  Avliich  could  have  no  grounds  or  significancj 
in  this  country,  and  applied  at  once  to  the  Associate  Presby- 
tery of  Pennsylvania  for  admission.  After  some  delay  and  con- 
siderable negotiation  as  to  terms,  he  was  admitted  September 
2,  1765,  upon  the  following  conditions,  viz : 

1.  That  Mr.  Clarke  shall  not,  either  publicly  or  privately,  justify  the 
Burgess  Oath,  or  any  ■writing  published  in  defence  of  it,  nor  give  counten- 
ance to  any  in  taking  such  a  step,  and  the  Presbytery  agree  to  drop  the 
whole  controversy  concerning  it. 

2.  That  Mr.  Clarke  concur  with  this  Presbytery  in  adhering  to  the  Na- 
tional Covenant  and  the  Solemn  League,  with  the  bond  for  renewing  the 
same,  together  with  the  Act,  Declaration  and  Testimony,  as  they  were 
owned  and  professed  before  the  unhappy  division,  and  that  he  endeavor  to 
prosecute  the  ends  of  them  in  his  i^lace  and  station. 

3.  That  Mr.  Clarke  shall  not  endeavor  to  obtain  a  Presbyt-ery  in  America 
constituted  in  opposition  to  this  Presbytery,  nor  countenance  any  attempt 
towards  erecting  such  a  Presbytery. 

4.  That  Mr.  Clarke  shall  not  preach  upon  an  invitation  from  people  who  are 
in  full  communion  with,  or  have  made  application  to  this  Presbytery  for  sermon^ 
without  their  allowance,  nor  countenance  any  brother  in  taking  such  a  step. 

5.  That  Mr.  Clarke  shall  acknowledge  that  this  Presbytery,  and  Synod  in 
Scotland  to  which  it  is  subordinate,  are  lawful  courts  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
Presbytery  likewise  acknowledge  that  the  other  Synod  is  a  lawful  court  of 
Christ ;  nor  do  the  Presbytery  desire  that  he  renounce  his  subjection  to 
that  Synod  according  to  these  terms. 

6.  That  the  members  of  this  Presbytery  shall  not,  either  publicly  or  pri- 
vately, justify  the  act  condemning  the  Burgess  Oath,  or  the  censures  passed 
against  some  of  Mr.  Clarke's  brethren  by  their  Synod,  or  justify  any  writ- 
ing in  defence  of  said  censures,  or  countenance  any  step  tending  thereunto. 

7.  That  the  Presbytery  and  Mr.  Clarke  shall  endeavor  to  strengthen  one- 
another  in  pursuance  of  these  terms,  and  to  bring  about  a  general  healing 
of  the  unhappy  division  in  a  Scriptural  way. 

8.  That  our  secession,  we  must  acknowledge,  is  such  as  is  declared  to  be 
in  the  grounds  of  secession,  contained  in  the  first  testimony,  which  is  ap- 
proved of  and  made  judicial  in  the  judicial  testimony,  and  is  substantially 
declared  in  our  declinature,  and  so  we  look  upon  ourselves  as  standing  upon, 
the  same  footing  as  before  the  rupture. 

9.  That  ujxjn  subscribing  to  these  terms  the  Presbytery  and  Mr.  Clarke 
shall,  in  the  meantime  and  henceforward,  maintain  a  brotherly  communica- 
tion with  each  other. 

In  witness  whereof  both  parties  have  set  their  hands  to  this. 
Subscribed  by  appointment. 

ROBERT  ANNAN,  Mod. 

THOMAS  CLARKE. 
Septbmbek  2,  1765. 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  15 

Mr.  Clarke  was  thus  admitted,  and  the  Presbytery  had  never 
any  occasion  to  regret  it,  for  he  remained  for  nearly  thirty  years 
one  of  the  most  useful  and  honored  presbyters  of  the  church. 
And  the  Synod  in  Scotland  appeared  satisfied,  for  it  never  ques- 
tioned the  propriety  and  legality  of  the  transaction. 

In  the  spring  of  1769  Rev.  David  Telfair,  of  Monteith,  in 
Scotland,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Kinlock,  probationer,  arrived  in 
Pennsylvania.  They  were  both  in  connection  with  the  Burgher 
Synod  of  Scotland,  but,  like  Dr.  Clarke,  they  applied  immediately 
for  membership  in  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania. 
Their  application  was  considered  by  Presbytery  at  its  meetincr 
in  Xeshaminy,  and  finally  settled  at  a  called  mcetino-  in  Pe- 
quea,  June  9,  1769.  This  meeting  was  called  expressly  "that 
steps  might  be  taken  for  making  the  coalescence  between  this 
Presbytery  and  Mr.  Telfair  and  Mr.  Kinlock  complete."  The 
minute  of  this  meeting  runs  thus:  "They  proceeded  to  con- 
sider the  terms  of  agreement  between  them  and  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Clarke,  of  Stillwater,  in  the  county  of  Albany,  to 
which,  with-  some  small  variation,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Telfair,  minister 
of  the  gospel  in  Monteith,  in  Scotland,  with  Mr.  S.  Kinlock, 
probationer,  did  agree."  "What  this  "some  small  variation" 
was  is  nowhere  given,  and  the  presumption  is  that  it  was  some 
verbal  explanation  ;  for  we  find  the  following  subscription  ap- 
pended to  the  original  Clarke  covenant: 

That  the  Rev.  Da\Tid  Telfair,  with  Mr.  Samuel  Kinlock,  having  considered 
the  above  terms,  approve  of  them,  in  testimony  •where.-f  be  subscribed 
these  presents. 

DAVID  TELF.UR, 
SAMUEL  KINLOCK. 
JxjNB  9,  1769. 

When  the  news  of  this  transaction  reached  Scotland  there 
was  a  great  outburst  of  indignation  in  the  Anti-Burgher  Synod. 
There  were  yet  living  many  of  the  heroes  of  the  great  Burfjliur 
Oath  fight  of  twenty  3-ears  before,  and  the  memory  of  their 
wounds  and  scars  would  not  allow  them  to  keep  quiet.  'J'he 
meaning  and  expediency  of  an  obscure  Scotch  oath  must  bo  a 
term  of  communion  in  the  wilderness  of  the  new  world  as  well 
as  in  Scotland.  Had  they  not  turned  their  backs  ujxin  Ebene- 
zer  Erskine,  the  great  leader  of  the  Secession,  and  could  they 


16  HISTORY    OF    THE 

now  permit  their  foreign  missionaries  to  fraternize  with  one  of 
his  followers  ?  Synod,  at  its  meeting  in  1770,  condemned  this 
coalescence,  and  appointed  three  of  their  number  to  go  as  new 
missionaries  to  America,  and  instructed  them  to  require  the 
Presbytery  to  annul  the  union  with  the  Burghers,  and  to  ob- 
literate their  minute  respecting  it ;  and  if  the  Presbytery  re- 
fused to  do  so,  then  they  and  any  of  the  brethren  that  choose 
to  join  with  them  should  constitute  themselves  into  a  new 
Presbytery  and  hold  no  fellowship  with  the  backsliders.  The 
Synod  evidently  held  to  the  view  that  circumstances  do  not 
alter  cases — that  Paul's  law  of  expediency  had  waxed  old  and 
had  vanished  away.  The  older  members  had  come  through 
a  long  and  fierce  controversy,  and,  as  a  necessary  result  had  be- 
come, to  a  large  extent,  impracticable  theorists.  The  Presby- 
tery, in  its  extra  elaborate  terms  of  union,  had  done  a  foolish 
thing  in  specifying  that  the  Burgher  brethren  were  not  to  re- 
nounce subjection  to  their  Synod.  Subjection  to  the  Presby- 
tery was  all  that  should  have  been  required.,  and  let  the  subor- 
dination of  the  Presbyter}'  to  its  Synod  take  care  of  itself. 
The  members  of  Presbytery  were  not  dependent  upon  either 
Synod  at  home  for  their  support,  and  their  lives  and  doctrines 
could  not  be  reviewed  Synodically,  so  that  all  subjection 
amounted  practically  to  very  little.  In  reality  it  consisted 
merely  in  depending  upon  Synod  for  more  missionaries. 

John  Proudlit  and  James  Ramsey  declined  going  on  this 
mission,  but  John  Smith  of  Sterling,  volunteered  to  go  with  Mr. 
John  Eodgei-s.  In  the  spring  of  1771  Messrs.  Rodgers  aiid 
Smith  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  and  laid  their  instructions  be- 
fore Presbytery,  at  its  meeting  in  Pequea,  June  4th,  1771. 
Did  Presbytery  obey  these  instructions  and  annul  the  union 
and  obliterate  their  minute?  Strange  to  say,  there  is  a  doubt 
upon  this  point,  and,  as  we  shall  subsequentl}'  see,  the  popular 
belief  is  most  likely  incorrect.  Mr.  Aiken,  in  his  biographi- 
cal sketch  of  Rev.  John  Cuthbertsou,  says,  page  sixteen  :  "Mr. 
Telfair  appears  to  have  continued  as  a  member  of  the  Associate 
Presbytery  for  about  two  years,  when,  by  the  action  of  the 
Presbytery,  the  brethren  who  aame  in  from  the  Burgher 
Synod     were    dismissed.     It    is    not  definitely   known    with 


BIG    SPRINii    PRESBYTERY.  1  ( 

whom  Mr.  Telfair  held  his  ecclesiastical  relations  from  1771  to 
1780."     Dr.  Beveridge,  in  the  Church  Jllemorial,  page   thirty- 
three,  says:  "The  Presbytery  agreed  that  the  union  with  the 
Burgher  brethren  should  be  dissolved,  as  not  consistent  with 
their  subordination  to  the  Synod,  and  that  they  would  have  no 
further   ministerial    communion  with  them  until   the   Synod 
should  give  theni  instructions.     They  declined  erasing  the  min- 
ute relating  to  the  union,  judging  the  act  of  dissolving  itsufh- 
cient.     Messrs.  Kodgers  and  Smith,  considering  the  demands 
of  Synod  as  materially  complied  with,  took  seats  in  the  Presby- 
ter}-,  and  the  Synod  appears  to  have  been  satisfied."     The  union 
of  1782  gave  rise  to  a  lively  pamphlet  warfare.     One  of  these 
pamphlets,  written  by  a  ruling  elder  who  was  very  familiar 
with  the  men  and  measures  of  that  day,  states  the  case  thus : 
*'  These  instructions  they  laid  before  Presbytery,  when  Dr.  Ma- 
son, Mr.  Marshall  and  others  were  present.     The  Presbytery 
viewed  this  as  a  very  bold  and  rash  step  in  that  Synod,  but  im- 
puted it  to  their  ignorance  of  the  state  of  the  church  here;  and 
from  this  moment  the  Presbytery  began  to  see  clearly  the  dan- 
ger of  acknowledging  any  practical  subordination  to  a  Synod 
at  such  a  distance,  where  they  were  not  and  could  not  be  re}> 
resented.     The  two  gentlemen  behaved    prudently  ;  they  did 
not  insist  on  their  instructions,  and  the  Presbytery  without  a 
dissenting  voice,  declared  against  obeying  them.     Mr.  Marshall 
Joined  freely  in   this    declaration   with    his    brethren.     Some 
considerable   time   after   this   Mr.    Clarkson   arrived    in   this 
country  with  much  the  same  instructions,  and  they  were  also 
treated  in  much  the  same  manner."     When  we  turn  to  the  min- 
ute  of  Presbytery  itself,  we  find  that  it  is  so    indefinite    as 
to  leave  room  for  doubt,  unless  we  look  at  it  in  the  light  of 
historic  facts.     The   Presbyterial  record  is   this,   "  The  Pres- 
l)ytery  met  (at  Mr.    Proudfoot's   house,    in    the    evening    of 
the    5th    of  June)    and   constituted   with    prayer,   ut    supra 
sederunt   excepting  the  elder.      They  entered  upon  the   con- 
sideration of  the  instructions  given  by  the  Synod  to  Messrs. 
Rodgers  and  Smith,  and,  after  long  reasoning  on  that  head  and 
application  by  a  brother  to  the  throne  of  grace  lor  direction, 
they  find  that,  in  making  the  coalescence  with  the  Burgher 
2 


18  HISTORY    OF    THE 

brethren,  tliey  have  taken  some  stops  inconsistent  witli  their 
sul)ordination  to  the  Synod  to  which  they  have  been  and  are 
8ul)ordinate,  and  they  are  determined  that  for  the  future  they 
shall  have  no  ministerial  communion  with  them  until  they  lay 
the  case  before  the  Synod  and  receive  instructions  from  them. 
But  they  do  not  judge  it  for  edification,  in  their  present  pecu- 
liar circumstances,  explicitly  to  compl}-  with  the  Synod's  de- 
mand, which  motion  was  unanimously  agreed  to  by  the  Pres- 
bytery. And  Mr.  Rodgers  and  Mr.  Smith,  reckoning  that  the 
S}'nod's  dcman<l  was  materially  granted,  and  being  extremely 
loath  to  pursue  any  measures  which  might  im}iedc  general  edi- 
tication,  took  their  seats  in  the  Presbytery."  Dr.  Beveridge 
supposed  that  the  expression,  "  for  the  future  they  shall  have  no 
ministerial  conmiunion  with  them  until  they  lay  the  case  before 
the  Synod  and  receive  instructions,"  referred  to  the  three 
Burgher  ministers  already  received ;  but  this  could  not  be,  be- 
cause the  Presljytery  did  not  lay  this  case  before  Synod  and  wait 
instructions  as  that  interpretation  would  require,  for  the  case  had 
been  there  already, and  the  Synod  had  given  its  instructions,  and 
those  instructions  were  just  what  was  bothering  Presbytery  now, 
and  it  did  not  want  any  more  of  the  same  sort.  Besides,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  Presbytery  never  did  withdraw  "ministerial 
communion"  from  either  Clarke, Telfair, or  Kinlock,  so  that  that 
interpretation  would  convict  Presbytery  of  deliberate  breach 
of  promise.  Presbytery  admitted  that  there  was  something 
inconsistent  in  their  action  with  their  subordination  to  Synod, 
but  their  circumstances  were  anomalous  ;  and  these  "  peculiar 
circumstances  "  would  not  allow  them  ••'  explicitl}^  to  comply 
with  the  Synod's  demands,"  but  that,  in  all  future  applications 
of  Burgher  ministers,  they  would  withhold  "ministerial  com- 
munion "  until  they  had  referred  the  case  to  Synod,  and  had 
received  its  instruction.  The  minute  will  allow  this  con- 
struction, and  we  know  that  it  is  according  to  the  facts  of  the 
case. 

In  1770,  Mr.  Kinlock  resigned  his  missionary  appointment, 
received  his  certificate,  and  returned  home  to  Scotland,  and 
settled  at  Paisley.  During  the  winter  of  1770,  or  the  spring 
of  1771,  Mr.  Telfair  pulled  up  stakes  and  went  back  to  Scot- 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  19 

land  without  consiiltiiio-  Presbytery  or  asking  its  leave  or  cer- 
tificate. Presbytery  was  so  ofiended  at  this  as  to  strike  his 
name  from  its  roll,  and  repudiate  him  for  his  insubordination. 
This  left  no  Burgher  m.inister  in  the  Presbytery  on  the  4th  of 
June,  1771,  when  Eodgers  and  Smith  appeared  with  their  in- 
instructions,  excepting  Thomas  Clarke,  of  Salem,  New  York. 
If  "ministerial  communion"  was  withdrawn  at  all,  it  must 
have  been  from  Mr.  Clarke,  alone ;  and  yet  it  is  an  admitted 
historic  fact,  that  Mr.  Clarke's  relations  with  his  Anti-Burgher 
brethren  were  never  disturbed.  His  right  to  a  seat  in  Presby- 
tery was  never  questioned.  He  remained  an  honore<l  and 
useful  member,  in  full  communion  with  all  the  brethren,  and  in 
1776,  was  set  off  with  the  Anti-Burghers,  Mason  and  Annan, 
to  constitute  the  new  Presbytery  of  ISTeAv  York. 

The  subsequent  action  or  non-action  of  Presbytery  towards 
Mr.  Telfair  is  consistent  with  this  view.  About  1773  or  "74 
he  returned  to  this  country  ;  but  he  came  as  he  went — unasked 
and  unsent — and  the  Presbytery  declined  to  restore  him  to  his 
place,  not  because  he  was,  or  had  been  a  Burgher,  but 
because  his  course  had  been  personally  offensive.  A  writer 
of  that  day,  who  was  subsequently  a  parishioner  of  Mr. 
Telfair,  says :  "  Mr.  Telfair's  going  back  to  Scotland  and  leav- 
ing the  Presbytery  in  this  embarrassed  situation  without  any 
pressing  call,  as  they  thought ;  his  going  off*  without  leave  and 
without  even  asking  a  certificate,  gave  offence,  and  his  return- 
ing again  to  America  without  any  proper  call  or  appointment, 
increased  the  offence,  so  that  for  some  years  he  stood  alone  and 
was  not  admitted  to  communion  with  that  body."  Mr.  Tel- 
fair remained  in  this  isolated  position,  preaching  in  new  set- 
tlements as  he  had  the  opportunity,  and  as  stated  supply  of 
the  old  Burgher  Church,  in  Shippen  street,  Philadelphia,  which 
subsequently  united  with  the  Scott's  Church,  in  Spruce  street, 
till  August  12, 1780,  when  he  was  received  into  the  Peformed 
Presbytery,  at  its  meeting  at  Stony  Ridge,  in  Cumberland 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  came,  with  Cuthbertson,  Lind  and 
Dobbin,  into  the  union  of  1782,  which  formed  the  Associate 
Reformed  Church. 

The  "  present  peculiar  circumstances  "  which  prevented  their 


50  HISTORY   OF   THE 

ex}ilicit  o]>edioncG  to  S^'noil,  was  tlie  simple  hut  stul)ljorn  fact 
that  the  membership  of  every  congregation  in  Presltj-tery  was 
composed  of  Burghers  and  Anti-Burghers,  and  if  that  old 
Scotch  oath  controversy  were  started  up  in  this  country  by  ex- 
pelling the  Burgher  ministers,  it  would  rend  every  congrega- 
tion, and  at  once  call  into  existence  an  antagonistic  Burgher 
Presbytery.  This  they  wished  by  all  means  to  avoid,  and  the 
third  article  of  the  terms  of  agreement  was  that  the  Burgher 
brethren  "should  not  endeavor  to  obtain  a  Presbytery  in 
America  constituted  in  opposition  to  this  Presbytery,  nor 
countenance  any  attempt  towards  erecting  such  a  Presbytery." 
Rodgers  and  Smith  saw  at  once  how  things  were,  and  did 
not  insist  upon  obedience  to  their  instructions.  They  thought 
that  Presbytery  had  done  right,  and  quietly  took  their  seats 
and  said  nothing  more  upon  the  subject,  but  worked  on  har- 
moniously with  the  brethren. 

It  is  now  impossible  to  tell  how  many  of  Mr.  Cuthbertson"s 
preaching  stations  crystallized  into  regularly  organized  congre- 
gations, and  at  what  times.  We  know  that  some  did,  and 
some  did  not.  Until  the  arrival  of  Messrs.  Lind  and  Dobbin, 
Mr.  Cuthbertson  regarded  all  the  Covenanter  settlements  as  be- 
longing to  his  parish,  even  those  in  the  State  of  Xew  York, 
upon  the  Walkill,  in  Orange  county,  and  at  Cambridge,  in 
Washington  county. 

At  different  times,  a  number  of  ruling  elders  were  ordained 
by  him,  but  those  of  the  same  ordination  did  not  all  belong 
to  the  same  place — one  would  be  from  one  station,  and  another 
from  a  distant  station — and  they  seemed  to  have  a  general,  as  well 
as  a  local  supervision.  The  first  company  of  elders  were  ordained 
at  Rocky  Spring,  on  the  8th  of  April,  1753,  although  George 
Mitchell  was  the  only  one  that  lived  there,  while  James  and 
George  Wilson  belonged  to  Licking  Creek,  and  Jeremiah 
Morrow  and  David  Dinwiddle,  to  Rock  Creek.  In  December 
of  the  same  year,  he  ordained  several  more  at  Octorara,  who  be- 
longed to  the  stations  east  of  the  river.  Again,  in  October, 
1754,  he  ordained  another  company  at  the  same  place,  among 
whom  was  Walter  Buchanan,  of  Stony  Ridge.  For  several 
years  he  held  but  one  communion  during  the  ^ear,  but  this 


BIS    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  21 

was  not  for  the  benefit  of  any  one  place.  A  central  location 
was  selected  during  the  pleasant  weather  of  late  summer  or 
early  autumn,  and  the  members  from  all  tlie  stations  were  ex- 
pected to  be  present  and  participate,  and  thoy  were  always  re- 
ceived wnth  a  large  and  hearty  hospitality  by  the  resident 
families.  The  first  communion,  as  already  mentioned,  was 
held  at  Stony  Ridge,  in  August,  1752 ;  the  second  was  at 
I'axtang,  in  Dauphin  county,  October  14, 1753,  when  about  two 
hundred  communed  ;  the  third  was  at  the  same  place,  August 
25,  1754,  when  about  tAVO  hundred  and  fifty  participated. 
Mr.  Cuthbertson  mentions  in  his  diary  that  while  engaged  in 
prayer,  asking  a  blessing  upon  the  bread  and  wine,  on  this 
last  occasion, a  fearful  thunderstorm  broke  upon  them,  killing 
four  horses  and  a  dog  some  forty  yards  from  the  tent. 

In  the  spring  of  1773  either  William  or  Benjamin  Brown^ 
of  Paxtang,  was  sent  as  a  commissioner  to  Ireland  to  procure 
two  ministers,  and  was  specially  instructed  to  get,  if  possible, 
the  Rev.  Matthew  Lind,  pastor  of  the  Covenanter  congrega- 
tion of  Aghadowey,  near  Colraine,  in  Londonderry  county. 
In  his  mission  he  was  entirely  successful.  Alexander  Dobbin, 
specially  licensed  and  ordained  for  the  purpose,  and  Mr.  Lind 
returned  with  liim,  landing  at  Newcastle,  Delaware,  about  the 
middle  of  December,  1773.  At  Paxtang,  on  the  10th  of  Marclu 
1774,  Messrs.  Cuthbertson,  Lind  and  Dobbin,  with  several  el- 
ders, constituted  themselves  into  the  Reformed  Presbyterian 
Presbytery  of  America.  Mr.  Cuthbertson  resided  at  Octorara,. 
and  took  charge  of  that  cliurch  and  Muddy  Creek,  in  Lancas- 
ter county,  and  Lower  Chanceford,  in  York  county.  Mr.  Lind 
located  in  Paxtang,  and  assumed  the  pastorate  of  that  church 
and  Stony  Ridge,  in  Cumberland  county,  Avith  frequent  visits 
to  Sherman's  Valley.  Mr.  Dobbin  made  his  home  at  Rock 
Creek,  now  Gettysburg,  and  in  addition  to  the  care  of  that  con- 
gregation, preached  for  four  years  part  of  his  time  at  East 
Conecocheague,  in  Franklin  county.  Xone  of  the  other  mis- 
sion stations  formally  organized  during  Mr.  Cuthbertson's  mis- 
sionary supervision.  The  few  families  around  Carlisle  moved 
away,  so  that  the  station  soon  disappeared.  Those  near  Xew- 
ville  kept  uf^  society  meetings,  with  an  occasional  supply  of 


22  HISTORY   OF   THE 

sermon,  Init  liiul  neither  house  nor  elder.  They  refused  to  20 
into  the  union  of  1782,  and  subsequently  coalesced  with  the 
scattered  families  around  Green  Village,  Chambersburg  and 
Green  Castle,  which  took  the  same  course,  and  when  the  Re- 
formed Presbyterian  Presbytery  was  re-constituted,  and  a  church 
was  formall}'  organized  on  the  Conecocheague,  tliey  were  re- 
garded as  a  wing  of  that  pastoral  charge.  The  clusters  around 
liocky  Spring  and  upper  East  Conecocheague  continued  to  re- 
ceive occasional  supplies,  without  any  formal  organization,  be- 
3'ond  the  presence  of  one  ruling  elder.  Licking  Creek,  and  the 
valley  of  the  Great  Cove  Creek,  after  the  first  few  years  of  Mr. 
Cuthbertson's  itineracy,  were  rarely  visited,  because  of  their 
distance,  and  as  the  result,  the  former  soon  disappeared  from 
notice,  and  the  latter,  with  a  kind  of  semi-organization,  frater- 
nized with  the  Associate  cono-reg-ation  of  West  Conecocheaorue, 
and  thus  became  a  part  of  Mr.  Rodgers'  charge. 

Mr.  Rodgers,  during  his  first  summer  in  this  country,  spent 
most  of  his  time  among  the  churches  west  of  the  Susquehanna, 
and  as  a  result,  a  call  was  presented  to  Presbytery,  at  its  meet- 
ing at  Oxford,  Xovember  12,  1771,  from  the  churches  at  Cone- 
cocheague and  Big  Spring,  for  him  to  become  their  minister. 
A  separate  petition  was  also  presented,  "craving"  his  speedy 
admission  among  them.  Mr.  Rodgers  accepted  this  call,  "but 
he  craved  that  it  might  be  marked  that,  when  he  accepted  the 
call  of  the  people,  it  was  with  this  view :  That  as  soon  as  any 
one  of  the  two  places  that  had  now  put  the  call  in  his  hand 
was  able  to  support  a  minister,  he  should  be  disjoined  from  the 
other,  as  he  reckoned  it  impracticable  to  have  them  both  un- 
der his  pastoral  care  for  a  long  time,  considering  the  distance 
of  the  one  from  the  other.''  Tliey  were  nearly  thirty  miles 
apart,  ^h.  Rodgers'  installation  did  not  take  place  before  the 
summer  of  1772,  because  of  the  lack  of  church  buildings,  and 
Presb^-tery,  in  April  of  that  year,  recommended  these  congre- 
gations "to  erect  decent  places  of  worship  with  all  convenient 
speed."  Which  recommendation  was  promptly  complied  with. 
The  probabilities  are  that  Mr.  Rodgers  preached  onedialf  time 
in  Big  Spring  and  the  other  half  in  Franklin  county,  as  one  of 
the  Humphreys  papers  shows  tliat  the  Conecoche^-ue  churches 


BIG   SPRING    PRESBYTEHY.  23 

paid  him  over  seventy  i»oiinds  })er  yeiir,  Pennsylvania  currency, 
and  it  is  not  lilcely  that  the  l>i^  Spriii*^  congregation  paid  more. 
The  church  at  Big  Spring  was  formally  organized  in  Septem- 
ber, 1764,  when  Rev.  Mattliew  Henderson  ordained  and  in- 
stalled David  Blean,  George  Espy,  Ivobcrt  J'atterson,  William 
Piper  and  John  Sproat  as  ruling  elders.  The  Conecocheague 
part  of  Mr.  Ilodgers'  charge  was  composed  of  two  organiza- 
tions. One  on  the  East  and  the  other  on  the  West  Coneco- 
cheague,  as  all  the  new  settlements  were  near  to  streams  of 
water.  ^Mr.  Humphreys,  of  Mercersburg,  has  put  into  the 
hands  of  the  writer  a  package  of  old  papers  Avhich  belonged 
to  his  father  and  his  grandfather,  both  of  whom  were  ruling 
•elders  in  the  Associate  Reformed  Church  of  West  Coneco- 
cheague,  and  the  latter  as  far  back  as  1772.  These  jiapers  coti- 
sist  of  old  subscriptions  for  salary  and  scraps  of  minutes  of 
congregational  meetings,  and  are  valuable  in  the  absence  of  reg- 
ular records.  Mr.  Rodgers,  at  the  end  of  his  first  year's  pas- 
torate, desired  to  be  released  from  the  western  part  of  his 
Franklin  county  charge.  On  the  21st  of  August,  1773,  the 
West  Conecocheague  church  had  a  meeting  and  adopted  a  re- 
monstrance against  this  release,  and  sent  it  by  Elder  David  Plum- 
phreys  to  Presbytery  at  Muddy  Creek,  on  the  25th  instant.  In 
this  remonstrance  the  following  suggestive  passage  occurs : 
"  We  are  as  willing  to  support  him  and  as  high  in  subscriptions 
as  any  of  the  congregations,  according  to  our  number,  taken  in 
general ;  and  were  so  in  sending  to  Scotland,  as  some  of  the 
reverend  Presbytery  know ;  and  we  were  with  the  lirst  in  pe- 
titioning the  Synod  at  home ;  and  were  not  the  last  in  giving 
the  ministers  all  the  encouragement  in  our  power.  But  if  this 
takes  place  and  we  be  cast  off,  after  all  our  struggles  to  have  the 
gospel  in  a  stated  way  among  us,  we  surely  arc  worse  in  situa- 
tion than  ever,  being  cut  oft'  from  the  body.  To  set  this  mat- 
ter in  a  clear  light:  In  the  first  place,  we  are  coiuiected  with 
our  brethren  of  the  Great  Cove,  and  the  nighest  place  of  wor- 
ship would  be  at  so  great  a  distance  that  the  greatest  part  of 
us  would  be  deprived  altogether,  except  some  few  Sabbaths  in 
the  summer.  Our  agreement  with  the  congregation  of  East 
Conecocheague  was  that  we  should  have  sermon  according  to 


24  HISTORY    OF    THE 

our  subscriptions  in  proportion  of  tlieir  part;  of  which  Mr, 
Roclgers  took  a  minute,  and  consented  to  come  and  preach  to 
us  accordins;  to  our  proportion  of  time."  This,  in  connection 
with  the  headings  of  three  or  four  subscription  papers  in  the 
Humphreys  collection,  reveals  to  us  several  things  which  bear 
upon  the  origin  and  relations  of  these  churches.  That  they 
were  among  the  first  organized  and  were  active  in  founding  the 
Secession  church  in  this  country  ;  that  there  were  two  separate 
and  distinct  organizations  ;  that  the  people  in  the  Cove  had  not 
organized  separately  in  1774,  but  were  still  a  constituent  part 
of  the  West  church,  and  most  likely  received  a  part  of  its  pro- 
portion of  sermon  somewhere  within  their  own  territory ;  and 
that  these  churches  must  have  had  considerable  strength  and 
prosperity  to  contribute  over  seventy  pounds  per  year,  a  very 
respectable  sum  for  those  days. 

"\Ve  know  that  Mr.  Rodgers  ministered  once  a  month  from 
1772  to  1781,  to  the  Associate  Church  of  East  Conecocheague, 
and  that  Mr.  Dobbin,  of  Gettysburg,  ministered  about  as  fre- 
quently, from  1774  to  1778,  to  the  Reformed  Presbyterian 
Church  of  the  same  neighborhood  ;  that  both  these  churches 
went  into  the  union  of  1782 ;  and  that  they  coalesced  into  one 
congregation  and  became  the  East  Conecocheague  or  Green 
Castle  branch  of  Matthew  Lind's  charge  in  1783  ;  but  there  is 
no  certainty  as  to  the  precise  location  of  the  meeting  houses  of 
these  two  churches  before  their  coalescence.  There  arc  cir- 
cumstances which  render  it  probable  that  the  Covenanter 
church  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Green  Castle,  and  that  the 
Seceder  church  was  near  to  the  grave  yard  at  Brown's  Mills, 
some  four  miles  from  Green  Castle,  where  Mr.  Lind  lived,  and 
where  he  was  buried. 

The  West  Conecocheague  church  was  located  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  Mercersburg  on  the  road  leading  to  Green 
Castle.  It  stood  upon  a  slate  hill,  and  was  generally  known 
familiarly  as  the  Slate  Hill  Church.  Because  of  the  direction 
of  the  roads  near  it,  it  was  often  called,  even  in  Presbyterial 
documents,  tl:^e  Corner.  The  building  was,  according  to  the 
custom  of  that  day,  of  logs,  and  was  most  probably  erected  in 
the  summer  and  autumn  of  1772.     The  deed  for  the  land  upon. 


BIG    SPRING    TRESBYTERY.  20 

which  it  stands  is  dated  December  10,  1777,  in  whicli  "William 
McCuiie  conveys  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Associate  congregation, 
one  acre  of  land,  with  the  ])rivilege  of  a  neighboring  spring, 
for  the  sum  of  five  shillings.  The  land  is  described  as  that 
upon  which  the  chnrch  is  already  built.  The  brethren  in  the 
valley  of  the  Cove  had  as  yet  no  church  building. 

Of  Mr.  Rodgers'  pastorate  very  little  is  now  known,  and 
even  that  little  is  not  so  much  the  result  of  positive  informa- 
tion, as  of  logical  inferences.  He  seemed  to  be  a  man  of  mild 
and  amiable  disposition,  and  was  reasonably  successful  as  a 
pastor ;  but  he  came  into  trouble  from  supposed  unsoundness 
in  doctrine. 

'  At  a  meeting  of  Presbytery,  held  at  Middle  Octorara,  Octo- 
ber, 1777,  it  was  resolved  ''  That  the  Presl\ytery  consider  the 
case  of  Mr.  Kodgers,  of  whom  it  is  known  that  he  has  taught 
a  number  of  tenets  wliich  tlie  Presbytery  judge  not  agreea- 
ble to  our  received  principle.  The  Presbytery  hereby  order 
him  to  give  his  sentiments  in  a  plain  and  inevasive  manner  to 
the  next  meeting,  on  the  following  heads,  viz :  Concerning  the 
obligation  of  the  Covenant  of  AVorks  in  Adam's  posterity  as 
to  the  positive  and  penal  part ;  concerning  mankind  to  have  a 
legal  right  to  common  benefits  ;  concerning  Christ's  yielding 
obedience  to  the  preceptive  part  of  the  moral  law,  whether  for 
Himself  or  His  people ;  concerning  Christ's  purchasing  bless- 
ings for  His  people." 

Sickness  prevented  Mr.  Rodgers  Irom  attending  the  next 
meeting  of  Presbytery,  so  Presbytery  judicially  condemned 
the  doctrines  he  w^as  supposed  to  hold  without  any  personal 
reference  to  him,  and  cited  him  to  appear  at  the  next  meeting. 
This  he  did,  and  seemed  to  satisfy  the  brethren,  for  his  case 
was  dismissed.  But  in  Presbytery  at  Big  Spring,  May  29, 
1779,  his  case  was  introduced  anew,  and  again  dismissed.  At 
the  next  meeting  at  Pequea,  it  was  introduced  a  third  time, 
when  "  Presbytery  proceeded  to  assert  gospel  truth  in  opposi- 
tion to  error  said  to  be  taught  by  Mr.  Rodgers,"  and  cited  him 
•  to  appear  and  answer  at  the  next  meeting.  l\e  appeared  at 
Middle  Octorara,  May,  1780,  and  failed  to  satisfy  the  brethren. 
He  then  proposed  to  resign  his  seat  in  IVesbytery,  deliver  up 


26  HISTORY    OF    THE 

pastoral  charge,  and  desist  from  the  exercise  of  his  office  till  he 
finally  made  up  his  mind  upon  the  subject  in  dispute.  AVliat 
an  amazing  proposition  of  forbearance,  submission  and.  non-re- 
sistance for  a  Scotchman  and  an  Anti-Burgher  I  But  the  ma- 
jority of  Presbyter}-  agreed  to  it.  Here,  for  the  third  time, 
the  matter  was  supposed  to  be  ended.  This  shilly-shallying 
of  Presbytery  for  four  or  live  years  can  be  easily  explained. 
The  Presbytery  was  very  nearly  divided  upon  the  course  to  be 
pursued,  and  when  Mr.  Rodgers'  friends  happened  to  be  in  a 
majority  at  a  meeting,  his  case  was  dismissed ;  when  his  oppo- 
nents chanced  to  be  in  the  majority,  then  the  case  was  brought 
up  again.  So  when  Presljytery  met  at  Marsh  Creek,  October, 
1780,  his  opponents  being  in  the  majority,  they  resolved  to 
terminate  the  case  judicially,  and  regularly  libeled  him,  and 
ordered  the  trial  to  be  issued  at  Philadelphia,  April  4, 1781.  It 
always  happened  that  the  further  east  the  Presbytery  met  the 
worse  it  was  for  him,  for  he  had  no  friends  in  that  end.  In 
the  absence  of  himself  and  of  the  witnesses  cited,  the  case  was 
issued,  and  on  the  4th  of  April,  1781,  he  was  "  deposed  from 
the  ministry,  and  excommunicated  from  the  fellowship  of  the 
church  with  the  lesser  sentence  of  excommunication."  It  was 
further  directed  that  this  "  sentence  be  intimated  in  the  con- 
gregation of  Big  Spring  by  the  minister  who  first  supplies 
there,"  and,  "by  the  members  of  Presbytery  in  their  respective 
church,  for  the  honor  of  truth  and  the  information  of  the 
people."  This,  of  course,  ended  Mr.  Rodgers'  pastorate  in  Big 
Spring  and  connections,  but  it  was  far  from  being  the  last  of 
his  ministerial  career.  The  ministerial  vote  in  Presbytery 
was:  Affirmative — Clarkson,  Henderson,  Proudfit  and  Mar- 
shall. Negative — Logan,  Murray  and  Smith.  A  year  after 
this,  on  the  12th  of  June,  1782,  at  Pequea,  the  Presbyter\- 
finally  adopted  the  Basis  of  Union,  which  resulted  in  the  As- 
sociate Reformed  Church.  Against  this,  Clarkson  and  Mar- 
shall protested,  and  withdrew,  and  continued  a  Presbytery  of 
their  own.  This  left  Mr.  Rodgers"  friends  in  a  majority  in 
the  old  Presbytery,  and  while  there  is  no  record  upon  the  sub- 
ject, yet  the  presumption  is,  that  at  that  time,  Mr.  Rodgers  was 
restored  to  the  ministry,  for,  in  the  following  October,  ho  ap- 


BIG  SPRING   PRESBYTERY.  27 

peared  as  a  member  of  the  Presbytery,  and  took  part  in  the 
first  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  tlic  Associate  Iteformed  Church. 

The  doctrinal  errors  with  whicli  he  was  charged,  and  for 
which  he  was  de[>osed  were,  "  That  mankind,  in  tlieir  fallen 
state,  are  not  under  the  law  as  a  Covenant: — that  tlie  hxw  writ- 
ten on  Adam's  heart,  and  the  law  given  at  Sinai,  are  two  dis- 
tinct laws: — that  the  latter  is  no  part  of  the  Covenant  of 
Works: — that  Christ  did  not  purchase,  by  his  obedience  and 
death,  any  blessings  of  the  Covenant  and  Grace,"  It  is 
rather  difhcult  to  Ijelieve  that  Mr.  Rodgers'  was  very  much  of 
an  errorist  in  substance  and  reality,  when  men  of  such  un- 
doubted orthodoxy  as  Murray,  Smith  and  Logan  refused  to 
condemn  him. 

On  the  8th  of  April,  1758,  David  Dunwoody,  grandfather 
of  the  jate  James  L.  JJinwiddie,  D.  1).,  and  Jeremiah  Mor- 
row, father  of  the  late  Governor  Morro^v  of  Ohio,  of  Rock 
Creek,  wore  ordained  as  ruling  elders,  and  on  the  13th  of 
September,  1754,  Mr.  Cuthbertson  "•  held  sessions"  there  "  recti- 
fying disorders  and  removing  differences."  In  the  absence  of 
more  speciiic  records,  it  may  be  safe  to  affirm  that  the  Rock 
Creek  congregation  was  organized  on  the  8th  of  April,  175o. 
It  was  com[)Osed  entirely  of  Irish  Covenanters  who  had  settled 
there  between  1740  and  that  date.  It  remained  a  part  of  Mr. 
Cuthbertson's  general  missionary  charge  till  after  the  arrival  of 
Mr.  Dobbin  and  the  organization  of  the  Reformed  Rresbytery, 
when  ill  1774  he  became  its  resident  pastor,  giving  one-fourth 
of  his  time  to  the  congregation  near  Green  Castle.  Mr.  Dob- 
bin was  early  and  alwa^'s  a  strong  advocate  of  union  with  the 
Associate  brethren,  and  doubtless  impressed  his  spirit  upon  his 
people,  for  they  went  heartily  with  him  into  the  union  of  1782. 

Marsh  Creek,  which  Hows  a  few  miles  west  of  Rock  Creek, 
was  also  early  settled  by  Irish,  but  they  had  been  connected 
with  the  Secession  Church.  They  were  organized  into  a  mis- 
sion station  just  as  soon  as  there  were  Associate  ministers  tc) 
look  after  them  ;  most  likely  by  Mr.  i'roudfit,  who  devoted  his 
first  four  years  in  this  country  (1754-8)  to  such  general  mission- 
ary work.  In  October,  1762,  Marsh  Creek  and  a  little  branch 
on  the  Conewacro  a'ave  a  call  to  Robert  Annan  who  was  or- 


'J.S  HISTORY    OF    THE 

dained  and  installed  as  their  pastor  on  the  8th  of  June,  17G3. 
This  pastorate  continued  till  April  21st,  1768,  Avhen  Mr.  Annan 
was  released,  and  in  the  following  year  was  installed  in  the 
churches  on  the  "VVallkill  in  Orange  county,  Xew  York. 
Their  next  pastor  was  John  Murray,  of  Scotland,  who  w^as  or- 
dained April  17,  1776,  and  installed  November  2,  1777.  He 
and  his  church  came  into  the  union  of  1782  with  much  cor- 
diality. 

The  township  of  Fermanagh,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Juniata 
river  in  what  is  now  MifHin  county,  was  early  settled  by  Irish, 
of  Secession  antecedents,  who  looked  to  the  Associate  Pres- 
bytery for  their  religious  teachers.  A  church  was  organized 
near  the  present  Mexico,  and  in  1777  "William  Logan,  who  had 
arrived  from  Scotland  in  1773,  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
congregation  of  Fermanagh  and  Racoon  Valley.  The  latter 
was  a  small  branch  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  Pastor  and 
people  came  into  the  union  of  1782. 

The  congregation  of  Guinston,  or  Muddy  Creek,  York 
county,  was  settled  between  1734  and  '6,  b}^  families  from  both 
Scotland  and  Ireland.  One  of  the  earliest  and  most  active  set- 
tlers was  Alexander  "Wallace  from  Scotland,  whose  great  grand- 
son now  resides  upon  the  original  homestead.  They  were 
formally  organized  by  Mr.  Gellatly  or  Arnot,  in  the  spring  of 
1754,  by  the  ordination  of  Alexander  "Wallace,  Thomas  Currie, 
John  Orr,  "William  Orr,  Samuel  Harper  and  John  McKay,  as 
ruling  elders.  This  Session  was  enlarged  in  May,  1769,  by  the 
addition  of  five  more  ;  and  again  in  1776  by  another  five.  Soon 
after  organization  they  erected  a  small  log  meeting  house  upon 
the  same  two  acre  lot  which  is  occupied  at  present.  In  1774 
this  was  replaced  by  a  stone  l:)uilding  of  thirty  feet  by  forty- 
five.  They  made  several  etibrts  to  procure  a  pastor,  but  were 
unsuccessful  for  nearly  twenty  years,  during  which  time  they 
were  liberally  supplied  by  the  members  of  Presbytery,  and  espe- 
cially by  Proudfit  and  Henderson.  They  had  considerable 
strength  from  the  very  beginning,  for  their  subscription  paper 
for  salary  in  1771  contained  a  hundred  and  thirteen  male  and 
two  female  subscribers,  and  amounted  to  nearly  one  hundred 
and   three  pounds.      On   the   25th   of  August,   1773,   James 


BIG    SPRING    rRESBYTEllY.  29 

Clarkson,  lately  arrived  from  Scotland,  was  installed  a.s  their 
first  pastor.  He  and  the  congregation  declined  to  go  into  the 
union  of  1782,  and  adhered  to  the  residuary  Associate  Tresby- 
tery  of  l^ennsylvania. 

Mr.  Cuthbertson  preached  his  first  sermon  in  Lower  Chance- 
ford  on  the  12th  of  December,  1751,  and  occasionally  after- 
wards, until  reinforced  by  the  arrival  of  Lind  and  Dobbin.  A 
church  was  not  organized  until  March  27,  1771,  when  William 
Gebby  and  Daniel  Sinclair  were  ordained  as  ruling  elders. 
After  the  organization  of  the  Reformed "  Presbytery  and  a  dis- 
tribution of  its  congregations  among  the  three  ministers. 
Lower  Chanceford  fell  to  the  share  of  Mr.  Cuthbertson,  who 
supplied  it,  more  or  less,  with  the  word  and  ordinances,  as  his 
increasing  age  and  growing  infirmities  would  permit,  although 
he  was  never  regularly  installed  as  pastor ;  his  relation  was 
simply  parental. 

According  to  the  testimony  of  Dr.  Annan,  the  subject  of 
union  with  the  Reformed  Presbytery  was  first  introduced  in 
the  Associate  Presbytery  at  a  meeting  at  Marsh  Creek  in 
1775,  although  no  formal  conference  was  held  with  the  Re- 
formed brethren  for  nearly  two  years.  Various  propositions 
were  made  and  conventions  held  for  five  or  six  years,  till,  at  a 
meeting  of  Presbytery  in  Pequea,  Lancaster  county,  June  13, 
1782,  the  basis  of  union  was  finally  adopted.  Messrs.  ^lar- 
shall  and  Clarkson,  with  their  elders,  protested  and  appealed 
to  the  Associate  S^'nod  of  Scotland.  These  i3rotestor3  with- 
drew, and  Mr.  Marshall,  as  clerk,  retained  the  minutes,  and 
they  claimed  to  be  the  true  Associate  Presbytery  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

One  immediate  result  of  this  union  was  a  bitter  feeling  be- 
tween the  parties  and  an  active  warfare  of  pamphlets.  This  is 
not  the  jilace  to  review  this  union  work,  but  one  or  two  re- 
marks may  be  proper. 

The  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a  harmonious  union  arose  per- 
haps as  much  from  temperament  and  political  feeling  as  from 
theological  causes.  The  theological  training  of  all  the  min- 
isters had  been  the  same,  their  minds  had  been  literally  run  in 
the  same  mould,  and  even  the  forms  of  their  expressions  had 


30  HISTORY    OF   THE 

boon  tushioned  after  the  same  mo.lel,  so  that  it  was  not  possi- 
l)le  that  there  could  be  any  great  or  essential  difterence  of 
opinion  as  to  dogma.  They  had  worked  together  harmoniously 
thus  far,  and  why  not  continue  to  do  so  still  ?  To  say  that  the 
movement  was  premature  and  that  the  church  was  not  ripe  for 
it,  was  to  repeat  just  wliat  had  been  said,  and  proba1>ly  always 
vvill  be  said,  of  every  such  work.  There  are  always  and  every- 
where some  so  conservative  by  nature  that  they  never  ripen 
sufficiently  to  join  in  any  forward  enterprise.  ''  The  time  is 
not  yet,''  is  their  stereotyped  answer,  and  if  they  are  to  be 
waited  for,  the  time  will  never  come.  It  was  so  in  this  union 
and  it  has  been  so  in  subsequent  unions,  both  in  Scotland,  Ire- 
land and  the  United  States. 

Political  feeling  was,  beyond  all  question,  a  disturbing  fac- 
tor in  the  union  of  1782.  The  efibrts  for  a  union  were  com- 
menced about  the  time  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
they  were  carried  on  during  the  whole  war,  and  the  work  was 
consummated  just  when  we  had  gained  our  national  cause. 
Everything  during  these  six  eventful  years  became  saturated 
with  one  great  desire  for  independence,  which  largely  monopo- 
lized the  minds  of  all  men.  Ministers  felt  it  as  strongly  as  did 
others.  Drs.  Mason  and  Amian  were  intense  patriots,  and  both 
entered  the  army  as  volunteer  chaplains.  Such  men  could  not 
brook  the  idea  of  a  dependent  church  in  a  free  State,  and  were 
just  as  eager  and  determined  to  throw  oft'  ecclesiastical  subor- 
dination to  Scotch  S3'nods  as  to  secure  political  independence 
of  the  13ritish  crown.  There  were  others,  however,  who  did 
not  feel  this  desire  for  ecclesiastical  autonomy,  and  were  not 
willing  to  cut  the  cord  which  bound  them  to  their  mother 
church. 

It  is  but  just  to  add  in  this  connection,  as  it  can  be,  with 
pride  and  truthfitlness,  that  every  minister  between  the  Sus- 
([uehanna  river  and  Fort  Pitt,  whether  Presbyterian,  Cove- 
nanter, or  Seceder,  sympathized  with  the  Patriots  in  their 
struggle  for  independence.  Some  possessed  more  enthusiasm 
of  nature,  and  showed  more  warmth  and  zeal  than  did  others, 
yet  they  were  all  faithful  to  the  cause.  Mr.  Cuthbertson,  on 
the  2d  of  Jul}',  1777,  preached  to  a  large  congregation  of  Gov- 


BIG    SPRIXa    PRK.-I3YTERY.  31 

enanters,  from  Jer.  4:2,  ''And  thou  shall  swear,  The  Lord 
livetb,  in  truth,  in  judgment,  and  in  righteousness ;  and  the 
nations  shall  bless  themselves  in  Ilim,  and  in  Ilim  shall  they 
s^j'lory  ;"  and  then  led  them  in  taking  an  oath  of  fidelity  to  the 
struggling  colonies.  Men  who  thus  mixed  their  patriotism 
with  their  religion,  could  always  be  trusted. 

The  multiplication  of  churches  during  this  period  of  plant- 
ing would  have  been  much  greater  had  there  been  more  laborers 
in  the  field.  Some  stations  were  without  preaching  for  months, 
even  years,  and  it  is  not  possible  to  l)uild  up  a  cause,  or  oven 
maintain  a  standing  under  such  circumstances.  I'romising 
openings  necessarily  perished  from  neglect,  and  it  is  only  a 
wonder  that  so  many  churches  struggled  up  into  a  healthy  ex- 
istence. The  few  ministers  that  were  secured  for  the  field  were 
men  of  good  ability,  of  excellent  culture,  and  devoted  to  their 
laborious  work,  and  met  the  demands  of  the  field  as  far  as 
possible,  and  the  settled  congregations  were  ver}''  generous, 
and  allowed  their  pastors  to  devote  a  large  share  of  their  time 
to  destitute  places. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  ways  by  which  our  fathers  met 
the  difficulties  of  their  situation,  it  may  be  worth  noting,  that 
from  1780  to  '82  or  '3,  the  congregations  in  Franklin  county, 
and  most  likely  elsewhere,  subscribed  for  "  stipends,'*'  so  many 
bushels  of  wheat,  or  the  current  value  thereof,  instead  of 
pounds  or  dollars.  The  Government  had  issued  so  much  paper 
money  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  war,  that  there  Avas  no 
longer  any  prospect  of  its  being  redeemed,  and  just  as-  soon  as 
the  public  became  convinced  of  this  fact,  this  "Fiat  Money '^ 
Ijegan  to  depreciate  so  rapidly,  that  in  a  short  time,  it  l)ccarac 
worthless,  notwithstanding  the  Government's  promise  to  pay. 
It  ceased  to  be  a  medium  of  trade,  for  it  liad  no  fixed  value, 
and  men  had  to  fall  back  to  the  moneyless  system  of  barter 
and  exchange,  and  make  the  bushel  of  wheat  the  measure  of 
values,  for  it  had  an  intrinsic  worth.  There  are  principles  in 
political  economy  just  as  fixed  and  unvarying  as  the  laws  of 
matter,  or  the  rules  of  morality,  and  it  is  not  onl\'  our  [irivi- 
lege,  but  our  duty,  to  learn  wisdom  from  the  fiiilures  as  well 
as  the  successes  of  our  fathers. 


32  HISTORY    OF    TUE 


CHAPTER  II. 

U82io  1822. 

|IIE  Associate  Reformed  Sjnod,  at  its  lirst  meetins:  in 
Philadelphia,  October  81,1782,  re-arranged  the  Presby- 
teries according  to  territory,  and  made  Messrs.  Hen- 
derson, Lind,  Rodgers,  Dobbin,  Logan,  Murray,  and  the  churches 
in  West  Pennsylvania,  to  constitute  the  Second  Associate  Reform- 
ed Preslnjtery.  The  Susquehanna  river  was  the  dividing  line  be- 
tween East  and  West  Pennsylvania.  In  1786,  the  Synod 
changed  the  name  of  this  Presbytery  to  that  of  the  Presbytery 
of  Pennsylvania.  In  1793,  it  was  divided  by  the  Synod,  and 
the  portion  west  of  the  Allegheny  mountains  was  erected  into 
the  Second  Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  eastern  part 
was  designated  as  the  P'irst  Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania.  In 
1802,  the  Synod  decreed  the  organization  of  four  particular 
Synods,  viz  :  The  Synod  of  the  Carolinas,  composed  of  the  First 
and  Second  Presbyteries  of  the  Carolinas ;  the  Synod  of  Scioto, 
composed  of  the  Presbyteries  of  Kentucky  and  Monongahela  ; 
the  Synod  of  Pennsylvania,  composed  of  the  Presbyteries  of 
Philadelphia  and  Big  Spring  ;  and  the  Synod  of  Xew  York, 
composed  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York  and  Washington. 
Also,  that  there  should  be  an  annual  General  Synod,  composed 
pro  rata  of  delegates  from  all  the  Presbyteries.  It  was  ordered 
that  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring  consist  of  Rev.  Messrs. 
AVilliam  Logan,  Jolin  Young,  Thomas  Smith,  James  Walker, 
James  McConnell,  William  Baldridge  and  James  Harper,  Jr., 
with  their  elders ;  and  that  the  Presbyter}'  shall  meet  at  ^h. 
Logan's  Church,  the  Fermanagh  Church,  on  Wednesday,  the 
18th  of  May,  1803,  and  be  opened  with  a  sermon  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Logan.  By  this  arrangement,  all  the  ministers  and 
churches  between  the  Susquehanna  river  and  the  Allegheny 
mountains  were  placed  in  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring,  except 
those  Qf  the  counties  of  York  and  Adams,  which  were  attached 


I5IG    SPRINd    l'RE>BVTKRY.  38 

to  the  Presbytery  of  l'hiladel[ihia.  After  the  re-organizatiou 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring,  by  the  Synod  of  the  West, 
in  1825,  it  was  left  without  any  definite  ,bouudary  on  the  east, 
inasmuch  as  the  Synod  had  no  other  territory  east  of  it.  At 
tlio  union  of  18.38,  it  was  made  to  embrace  tlie  territory  between 
the  Sus4uehamKi  and  the  Allegheny  mountains. 

The  attention  of  thePresbytery  was  so  entirely  taken  up  with 
the  care  of  its  churches,  that  it  has  no  separate  an<l  distinct 
history,  so  that  a  brief  account  of  congregational  histories  will 
tell  the  whok'  story  of  its  labors,  of  its  sorrows  and  of  its 
successes. 

STONY  RIDGE. 

With  the  exception  of  Mr.  Clarkson  and  liis  church  at  Guin- 
ston,  all  the  ministers  and  congregations  between  the  Susque- 
hannaandthe  Allegheny  mountains  joined  the  union  and  became 
Associate  Reformed  in  1782.  This  was  followed  with  the  hap- 
])iest  results,  for  small  congregations  in  the  same  neighborhootl 
united  into  one,  and  new  and  better  combinations  were  made 
for  pastoral  charges.  In  the  summer  of  1783  Matthew  Lind 
received  and  accepted  a  call  to  the  churches  in  Fnmklin  county. 
IPis  removal  from  Paxtang  and  Stony  Ridge  had  become  a  neces- 
sity for  these  churches  were  nevei'  strong,  especially  the  latter, 
and  as  soon  as  the  war  of  independence  was  substantially  over, 
the  (Trerman  population  began  to  move  westward  in  great  num- 
bers. Tliey  literally  crowded  out  the  Irish,  and  in  a  few  years 
both  congregations  were  completely  exterminated,  so  com- 
pletely that  there  is  scarcely  a  tradition  of  their  existence  left 
among  the  present  inhabitants.  Although  the  Paxtang  church 
does  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  this  history,  yet,  its  close  re- 
lation and  occasional  incidental  notice  present  a  temptation  tor) 
strong  to  resist,  to  turn  aside  tor  a  little,  and  note  a  marked 
instance  of  the  covenant  fidelity  and  loving  kindness  of  our 
(rod,  who  said  to  Abraham,  and  through  him  to  all  believers, 
"  I  will  establish  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  thy 
seed  after  thee,  in  their  generations,  for  an  everlasting  covenant, 
to  be  a  God  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee." 

When  Graham  of  Claverhouse  was  raiding  the  west  of  Scot- 
3 


34  HISTORY    OF    THE 

land  with  fire  and  Bword  in  1685,  lie  seized  John  Brown,  the 
pious  carrier  of  Muir  Kirk  parish,  while  working  in  the  fields 
and  Ijrought  him  to  his  own  door,  and  said  "  John,  go  to  your 
prayers,  for  you  shall  immediately  die."  The  mart3'r  neither 
asked  for  mercy  nor  length  of  days,  but  kneeled  down  and 
poured  out  his  heart  in  language  so  affecting,  that  the  soldiers, 
profane  and  hardened  as  they  were,  were  moved  almost  to 
tears.  After  kissing  his  wife  and  two  infant  children,  Claver- 
house  ordered  the  soldiers  to  fire.  But  the  prayers  of  the  good 
man  had  so  affected  their  hearts  that  they  decidedly  refused  to 
have  a  hand  in  his  death.  The  villianous  commander,  utter- 
ing an  angry  oath,  shot  him  with  his  pistol  and  rode  away. 
The  widow  laid  her  babe  upon  the  ground,  gathered  up  the 
scattered  brains  of  her  murdered  husband,  bound  up  his  head 
with  her  apron,  covered  his  body  with  her  plaid,  and  sat  down 
and  wept.  For  her  there  seemed  to  be  no  to-morrow.  But  God 
soon  found  means  to  hide  her  and  her  little  ones  safeh^  away 
in  Ireland.  In  process  of  time  one  of  these  infants  was  per- 
mitted to  rejoice  over  six  pious  sons ;  all  of  whom  emigrated 
to  America  about  1740,  or  shortly  afterwards,  and  settled  a 
feAv  miles  east  of  where  the  city  of  Harrisburg  now  stands, 
and  became  the  nucleus  of  the  Covenanter  church  of  Paxtang, 
in  the  eldership  of  vxdiich  two  or  three  of  them  long  served, 
The  late  Dr.  Matthew  Brown,  of  Jefferson  College,  in  relating 
these  things  to  the  writer,  said  that  ''  these  six  brotliers  were 
princes  in  Israel,  for  they  were  men  of  prayer,  and  had  power 
with  God."  When  the  Paxtang  church  was  crowded  out  as  al- 
ready mentioned,  these  brothers  scattered ;  one  went  to  Centre 
county  and  gave  to  tlic  ministry  of  the  word,  his  son.  Dr.  Mat- 
thcAv  Brown,  who  in  his  turn  gave  sons  and  grandsons  to  the 
same  work.  Another  removed  to  Big  Spring  and  two  of  his 
great-grandsons  and  a  great-grandson-in-law  are  ministers  in 
the  United  Presbyterian  churc-h.  Another  found  his  home  in 
Washington  county,and  through  his  son-in-law.  Dr.  Gilbert  Mc- 
Masters,  gave  more  ministers  to  the  Church  of  Christ.  And  it 
was  doubtless  so  with  others  of  the  six  brothers.  Thus  the 
wrath  of  man  designed  to  quench  the  influence  of  the  piety  of 
John  Brown,  but  it  was  overruled  by  God,  so  as  to  result    in 


Bl(}    Sl'RIN(i    PRE>:BYTERY.  35 

a  wide  dispersion  and  niarveJoiis  mnltiplication  of  pious  agency 
and  power. 

Walter  Buchanan  was  the  only  elder  in  Stony  liidge  wheiv 
Mr.  Lind  Avas  installed.  Abont  that  time  Joseph  Junkin  was 
ordained,  lie  lived  upon  the  present  Kanaga  farm,  built  its 
present  stone  house,  and  had  "  the  tent"  upon  it  during  his  life 
time.  It  is  not  cei-tainly  known  that  there  was  aiiy  other  el- 
ders. This  little  church  was  always  a  colony,  surrounded  by  a. 
population  which  had  no  sympathy  with  them  ;  and  after  the 
removal  of  Mr.  Lind  and  some  of  the  families,  there  was  but 
little  motive  left  for  the  others  to  remain.  They  eould  sell 
their  lands  for  a  good  price  and  go  west  and  purchase  where 
land  was  cheaper  and  religions  privileges  more  to  their  wishes. 
Presbytery  sent  them  some  supplies,  but  as  the  families  became 
fewer  the  suiiplies  diminished  imtil  the  station  was  wholly 
abandoned.  The  Bells,  and  the  Swansies,  and  the  Junkins 
temporarily  attached  themselves  to  the  Big  Spring  congrega- 
tion, but  in  time  they  too  passed  away,  and  not  a  single  de- 
scendant of  the  original  stock  is  now  known  to  reside  in  the 
neighborhood.  Joseph  Junkin,  -Jr.,  son  of  the  elder,  moved  in 
1806  to  Mercer,  Mercer  county, and  helped  to  found  the  Associate 
Eeformed  church  in  that  place,  and  served  in  its  eldership  for 
years.  One  of  his  daughters  married  Rev.  James  Galloway, 
Mercer's  first  pastor ;  another  married  Rev.  George  Buchanan, 
of  Steubenville ;  and  another  married  John  Findley,  an  elder 
of  Mercer,  all  of  whom  gave  sons  to  the  ministry  of  the  Asso- 
ciate Reformed  church.  His  sons,  Drs.  George  and  David  X., 
also  served  long  and  well  as  leading  men  of  the  l^resbyterian 
church. 

And  thus  it  has  continued  to  be  to  the  present  day  ;  our  loss 
in  the  East  was  always  gain  to  the  church  in  the  West.  Con- 
irresations  in  the  nrocess  of  becoming  extinct  here,  have 
founded  new  and  strong  churches  there.  Some  oi"  the  congre- 
gations in  this  Tresbytery  have  run  down  very  much  in  nu- 
merical strength,  others  have  been  entirely  blotted  out,  yet,  in 
no  instance  has  this  occurred  because  the  members  have  yielded 
their  religious  convictions  or  changed  their  theological  faith, 
but  because,  for  economical  reasons,  they  have  felt  compelled 


36  IlISTOKY    OF    TUE 

to  move  to  some  other  section  of  the  countiy.  The  Germans 
of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  more  plodding  and  thrifty,  and  less 
venturesome  and  enterprising  than  the  Scotch-Irish,  have,  for 
the  past  century,  steadily  pressed  across  the  Susr|uehanna,  and 
refused  to  pass  the  Alleghenies ;  and  have  thus  graduallj',  and 
to  a  very  considerable  degree,  crowded  out  the  descendants  of 
the  original  settlers.  These  Germans  are  moral  and  religious 
people,  and  make  good  citizens,  but  they  always  brought  their 
own  churches  with  them,  and  so  made  very  little  use  of  those 
they  found.  The}'  knew  not  Calvin,  or  Knox,  or  Cameron,  or 
Erskine,  Init  followed  after  Zwingle,  or  Luther,  or  Zinzendorf, 
or  Menno,  or  Otterbein,  or  "Winebrenner,  or  Albright. 

FEANKLIN  COUNTY. 

In  1783,  Matthew  Lind  was  installed  pastor  of  the  United 
Congregations  of  Green  Castle,  Chambersburg,  "West  Coneco- 
cheague,  and  the  Great  Cove.  The  Green  Castle  church  was  a 
union  or  combination  of  the  Reformed  and  Associate  churches 
of  the  neighborhood  previous  to  the  union  of  1782.  For  a 
time  the}'  worshiped  as  best  they  could  in  the  two  little  old 
log  meeting-houses,  but  the  enlargement  of  the  congregation 
by  the  union,  and  its  subsequent  prosperity,  soon  rendered  the 
old  accommodations  entirely  insufficient.  In  1782  the  town  of 
Green  Castle  was  laid  out  by  Colonel  John  Allison,  and  within 
ten  years  (j^uite  a  little  village  sprung  up.  In  May,  1791,  John 
Gebby,  George  Clark,  Andrew  Reed,  John  Coughran  and  James 
Crooks,  trustees  of  the  Associate  Reformed  church  of  Green 
Castle,  bought  of  James  McLanahan  and  John  Allison,  a  lot 
at  the  east  side  of  the  town,  on  Baltimore  street,  where  the  old 
grave-yard  now  is,  and  erected  a  large  log  building,  ceiled  and 
painted  inside,  and  weather-boarded  and  painted  white  outside. 

It  was  comfortably  fitted  up,  and  was  always  known  in  the 
town  as  the  White  Churchy  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Presby- 
terian Hed  Church.  Here  the  Associate  Reformed  Synod  met 
in  1799,  which  formed  and  adopted  the  "  Standards"  of  that 
church;  and  here,  in  May,  1804,  was  held  the  first  meeting  of 
the  General  Synod ;  and  it  l)ecame  a  favorite  meeting  place  for 
Synods  and  Presbyteries  ;  and  for  many  years  it  was  one  of  the 


BIG    SPRING    I'RE.-BYTERY.  37 

most  active  and  prosperous  clmrclies  in  the  Presbytery.  At  the 
time  of  the  union  in  1782,  the  session  was  composed  (upon  the 
authority  of  tradition)  of  James  McLanahan,  William  Gebby, 
Andrew  Reed,  David  Fnllerton,  Georti:e  Clark  and  Joseph 
Gebby.  It  is  not  known  how  they  had  been  previously  di- 
vided between  the  Reformed  and  Associate  churches,  or  how 
many  of  them  had  served  from  the  organization  of  those 
churches. 

On  the  21st  of  April,  1800,  the  Rev.  Matthew  Lind  died,  in 
the  fortieth  year  of  liis  ministry,  and  in  the  sixty-ninth  year 
of  his  age.  He  was  born  at  (^'airn  Castle,  in  the  county  of 
Antrim,  Ireland,  of  Scotch  parents  ;  was  educated  at  Glasgow 
University,  and  was  licensed  and  ordained  by  the  Reformed 
Presbytery  of  Scotland.  He  was  for  thirteen  years  pastor  of 
the  Reformed  Presbyterian  church  of  Aghadowey,  in  the  county 
of  Londonderry,  Ireland.  lie  came  to  this  country  in  1773, 
at  the  solicitation  of  a  special  delegation  sent  to  Ireland,  and 
for  nine  years  took  the  charge  of  the  Paxtang  and  Stony  Ridge 
churches,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  ministry  in  Franklin 
county.  In  1797  he  was  thrown  from  his  horse,  and  so  injured 
as  to  be  no  longer  able  to  discharge  fully  the  duties  of  his  po- 
sition, and  during  the  next  year  sought  and  obtained  the  dis- 
solution of  his  pastoral  relation.  In  person  he  was  large  and 
rather  corpulent,  was  comely  in  appearance,  and  possessed  mild 
and  winning  manners.  His  friend  and  immediate  successor, 
John  Young,  says:  "He  was  a  laborious  student  all  his  life, 
und  rarely,  if  ever,  appeared  in  the  pulpit  without  giving  am- 
ple proof  of  his  being  master  of  his  subject.  *  "  *  Often 
have  crowded  auditories  had  their  attention  astonishingl}- 
riveted  for  hours  together,  whilst  with  singular  ability  he  has 
unfolded  the  sublime  mysteries  of  the  gospel  and  traced  tlu' 
various  exercises  of  the  Christian  life.  *  *  *  In  private 
life  he  was  an  ornament  to  the  Christian  character,  and  recom- 
mended the  doctrines  which  he  publicly  taught  by  the  silent 
energ}'  of  an  eminently  holy  example." 

In  1799  John  Young  was  installed  pastor  of  Green  Castle, 
West  Conecocheague  and  the  Great  Cove,  and  gave  good  prom- 
ise of  great  usefulness  in  this  wide  field.     But  his  race  was 


38  HISTORY    OF    THE 

«oou  run,  for  he  died  on  the  24th  of  July,  l«Oa,  in  the  [.rime 
of  his  manhood,  :ind  to  the  great  grief  of  his  congregations 
and  of  tlie  Church  at  hirge. 

Mr.  Young  was  horn  September  4,  1TG3,  in  York  county,  t»f 
Covenanter  parentage,  was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College  in 
1788,  and  studied  theolou-y  mainly  with  Dr.  Xishet,  president 
of  the  college;  he  was  licensed  in  1790  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Dennsylvania,  and  on  the  20th  of  August,  1792,  was  ordained 
and  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Timber  Ridge  and  Old  I'rovi- 
dence  churches  in  Virginia.  He  was  a  man  of  good  abilities, 
of  fine  mental  culture  and  of  affable  manners,  and  was  always 
heard  with  gladness.  While  he  was  not  capable  of  making 
those  occasional  brilliant  efforts  which  Dr.  Mason  sometimes 
did,  yet  it  was  the  opinion  of  Dr.  McJimsey  and  others,  who 
knew  both  parties  well,  that  as  a  steady  every -day  preacher  he 
was  fully  the  doctor's  peer.  His  son,  Dr.  John  C.  Y^oung,  of 
Centre  College,  was  one  of  Kentucky's  most  eloquent  and  use- 
ful men.  Ilis  grandson,  William  Y'oung,  is  now  pastor  of  an 
important  church  in  Chicago. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1808,  John  Lind,  son  of  the  Rev. 
Matthew,  was  ordained  bv'  the  Big  Spring  Dresby tery,  at  Green 
Castk,  and  installed  as  pastor  of  the  churches  of  Green  Castle, 
Ilagerstown,  West  Conecocheague  and  tlie  Great  Cove.  He 
was  a  iwpular  preacher,  a  wise  pastor  and  an  amiable  man,  and 
his  labors  were  crowned  with  a  blessing. 

So  strong  did  the  Green  Castle  and  Hagerstown  churches 
become,  that  at  a  meeting  of  Presbytery  at  Concord,  on  the 
third  Tuesday  of  June,  1817,  they  presented  a  petition  for  his 
separation  from  West  Conecocheague  and  Great  Cove,  and  the 
devoting  of  his  entire  services  to  them.  This  petition  was 
granted,  and  in  this  reduced  charge,  he  continued  to  labor  with 
increasing  ability  and  success,  until  the  period  of  his  death, 
respected  and  loved  by  all  who  knew  him. 

The  church  of  West  Conecocheague  was  but  little  strength- 
ened by  the  union  of  1782,  as  there  were  not  many  Covenant- 
ers within  its  immediate  bounds.  But  it  experienced  a  fair 
measure  of  success  during  the  pastorate  of  the  elder  Lind.  In 
1796  they  expended  seventy-three  pounds  in  repairing  their 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  39 

thurcli  building,  wlion  they  ceiled  it,  and  re-soated  it,  and  ]  ut 
in  it  a  new  pulpit,  and  ^veatllel•-boal•ded  and  i")ainted  it  cxtei- 
ternally. 

But  the  tide  of  their  pros[)erity  seemed  to  have  attained  its 
irreatest  height  about  this  period,  for  adverse  inlluenees  now  set 
in.  In  1786  the  town  of  Mercers])iirg  was  laid  out,  and  soon 
became  a  centre  of  population,  and  the  Presbyterian  church, 
which  was  located  two  miles  and  a  half  in  the  country,  saw 
the  advantages  of  the  position,  and  in  1794  moved  into 
the  growing  town,  and  under  the  wise  administration  of  the 
excellent  and  able  Dr.  King,  greatly  prospered.  Inasmuch  as 
these  two  churches  were  precisely  the  same  in  doctrine,  gov- 
ernment and  forms  of  religious  worship,  many  could  see  no 
good  reason  wh}'  the  one  should  be  preferred  to  the  other,  and 
for  convenience  sake,  fell  in  with  the  village  church  ;  and  thus 
ii  stream,  small  indeed,  but  yet  sensibly  felt,  turned  away  from 
the  other's  door.  A  church  thus  located  near  to  a  village,  but 
too  far  away  for  the  villagers,  is  always  depleted,  and  in  the 
end  is  pretty  sure  to  succumb  to  its  town  competitor. 

The  church  not  only  lost  in  this  way  its  mechanics  and 
tradespeople  who  kept  no  horses,  but  the  farming  population 
iK^came  restless  and  unsettled  under  a  spirit  of  western  emigra- 
tion, which  became  very  rife  about  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century.  Even  the  uncpiestioned  abilit}^  of  John  Young 
and  John  Lind  was  unable  to  repair  the  loss  of  this  double  de- 
pletion, and  the  church  run  slowly  but  steadily  down  till  1817, 
when  Mr.  Lind  resigned  its  charge.  This  left  it  in  a  very  help- 
less condition,  for  it  could  not  combine  with  other  churches  to 
form  a  new  pastorate,  and  it  could  get  but  little  supply  from 
Presbytery,  for  tlie  General  Synod  had  become  very  much  en- 
feebled under  the  discouragement  and  distractions  of  the  Mason 
controversies,  and  had  but  little  supply  to  distribute.  It  had 
still  three  good  elders,  Henry  Anderson,  James  Clark,  and 
David  Humphreys,  and  a  band  of  very  reliable  members.  But 
what  could  they  do  V  They  had  no  prospect  of  ever  having 
another  pastor,  and  were  not  able  to  procure  any  supply  beyond 
an  occasional  Sabbath.  They  became  disheartened,  and  gave 
themselves  over  to  the  disintegration  of  time.  They  preserved 


40  HISTORY    OF    THE 

their  oro-anization  till  the  (li.sastrous  union  of  1822  Ijroke  up- 
the  Presbytery. 

The  presumption  is,  that  the  church  never  formally  dis- 
banded, but  just  melted  away  and  ceased  to  exist.  Some 
joined  the  Presbyterian  church,  some  identified  themselves 
with  the  Associate  church  that  was  struggling  up  into  exist- 
euce  in  Mercersburg,  some  moved  away,  and  others  remained  for 
a  time  just  as  they  were.  The  old  meeting-house  on  Slate  Hill 
remained  tenantless  for  years,  and  was  then  sold  and  removed 
to  another  place  and  erected,  and  now  does  service  as  a  dwell- 
ing house.  Nothing  remains  to  recall  the  story  of  the  past  ex- 
cept the  old  grave  yard,  where  sleep  the  accumulated  dead  of 
a  hundred  years,  sealed  by  the  holy  Spirit  of  God  unto  the  day 
of  redemption.  The  children  are  gone  but  the  parents  still  re- 
main to  tell  what  has  been. 

Big  or  Great  Cove  Creek  in  the  eastern  edge  of  Fulton 
county  heads  a  short  distance  north  of  McConnellsburg,  and 
runs  down  a  narrow  valley  between  the  Cove  mountain  and 
Scrub  Ridge,  and  unites  with  Licking  Greek  before  it  empties 
into  the  Potomac.  It  was  early  settled  by  Irish  Covenanters, 
to  whom  were  subsequently  .added  some  Irish  Seceders  and 
Synod  of  Ulster  families.  Being  too  few  in  numbers  to  do 
much  in  the  way  of  supplying  themselves  with  church  privi- 
leges they  early  connected  themselves  with  the  Seceder  church  of 
West  Conecocheague  to  which  access  was  had  through  Cove 
Gap,  and  thus  remained  an  integral  part  of  that  church  during 
the  pastorate  of  ^Ir.  liodgers.  But  when  Mr,  Lind  was  in- 
stalled in  1783,  they  constituted  one  of  the  four  organized 
branches  of  his  pastoral  charge.  Of  the  time  and  circum- 
stances of  their  formal  organization  as  a  separate  church,  iu> 
record  or  account  can  be  found ;  but  the  presumption  is  that 
they  were  so  organized  in  1783,  in  anticipation  of  the  installa- 
tion of  Mr.  Lind.  It  is  not  known  how  much  of  Mr.  Lind's 
services  was  received  by  this  congregation,  for  the  uniform 
custom  in  this  charge  was  that  each  branch  received  in  propor- 
tion to  what  it  paid,  and  the  probability  is  that  tlie  Great 
Cove  did  not  receive  the  one-fourth  of  his  time. 

This  congregation  was  never  numerically  strong,  indeed  it 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  41 

could  not  he,  because  the  territory  Avliidi  it  covers  was  so  re- 
stricted and  hemmed  in  witli  mountains  as  to  limit  the  num- 
ber of  its  population.  But  the  same  cause  gave  stability  and 
uniformity  to  its  history,  so  that  year  after  year  it  remained 
very  much  the  same.  Hid  away  among  the  mountains  it  felt 
but  little  the  iniiuences  of  popular  excitements,  and  conse- 
quently experienced  l)ut  few  and  sliglit  changes. 

It  is  known  that  their  meeting  place  was  for  some  time  in 
McConnellsburg,  and  at  other  times  further  down  the  valley. 
As  the  territory  occupied  by  the  congregation  was  long  and 
narrow  it  is  probable  that  for  reciprocal  convenience  they  met 
at  different  places,  and  it  is  possible  that  they  had  two  houses, 
one  for  each  end  of  the  congregation.  Having  enjoyed  the 
]>astorates  of  Matthew  Lind,  John  Young  and  JohnLind,  they 
became  vacant  in  1817  by  the  resignation  of  the  last.  The}- 
did  not  however  become  discouraged  by  their  change  after  en- 
joying the  word  and  ordinances  so  long,  but  sought  and  occa- 
sionally obtained  supplies  so  long  as  the  Presbytery  could  look 
after  them. 

A  number  of  Covenanter  and  Seceder  families  early  located 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Chambersburg,  who  received  an  occa- 
sional sermon  from  passing  ministers,  but  they  were  regarded 
as  belonging  to  the  churches  organized  at  or  near  Green  Castle, 
from  whicli  they  were  distant  only  ten  or  twelve  miles.  When 
the  union  of  1782  made  it  possible  to  settle  a  minister  in 
Franklin  county,  they  took  the  pro})er  measures  to  become  a 
part  of  Matthew  Lind's  new  charge.  The  circumstances  of 
their  case  make  it  probable  that  their  formal  organization  took 
place  at  this  time,  the  summer  of  1783,  and  in  view  of  the  set- 
tlement of  Mr.  Lind.  They  had  a  house  of  worship  at  an 
early  period  of  their  history,  for  in  the  contract  for  repairing 
the  meeting  house  of  West  Conecocheague,  it  is  stipulated  that 
the  new  pulpit  shall  be  modeled  after  and  as  good  as  Mr.  Lind's 
pulpit  in  Chambersburg. 

When  Chambersburg  wan  rendered  vacant  by  the  resignation 
of  Mr.  M.  Jjind,  it  joined  with  the  church  in  Shippeneburg, 
and  called  James  Walker,  who  was  ordained  and  installed  over 
these  two  congregations  on  the  4th  of  September,  1799.     Mr. 


42  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Walker  resigned  his  [lastorate  on  tlic  the  8th  of  August,  1820, 
and  moved  west.  Thomas  IST.  Strong  was  ordained  and  in- 
stalled as  his  successor  on  the  23d  of  October,  1821,  and  his 
short  pastorate  brought  them  down  to  the  distractions  of  tlie 
union  of  1822. 

Hagerstown  was  for  many  years  a  preaching  station  before 
it  attempted  anything  like  a  formal  organization.  This  imme- 
diate section  of  country  was  early  settled  by  Germans,  princi- 
pally of  the  Reformed  connection,  and  the  Irish  population 
Avas  not  sufficiently  numerous  to  maintain  church  ordinances 
in  their  midst.  Then  there  were  rres])yterinn  and  Associate 
Reformed  churches  within  ten  miles,  with  which  tlie}'  were 
associated,  and  wiiere  they  attended  more  or  less  frequently. 

In  the  year  1737,  the  I'resbytcr}^  of  Donegal  sent  Samuel 
Caven,  an  Irish  licentiate,  into  the  region  of  southern  Franklin 
county,  and  the  neighboring  l)order  of  Mar3-land.  In  1739, 
he  was  ordained  and  installed  over  the  congregations  of  East 
Conecocheague,  which  embraced  the  whole  section  from 
Chambersburg  to  Marjdand.  He  got  into  trouble  with  the 
northern  part  of  his  large  parish,  and  finally  had  himself  dis- 
missed from  his  charge  and  Presl)ytery  ;  but  he  continued  to 
preach  upon  his  own  responsibility  in  Green  Castle,  an.d  the 
region  south  of  it,  until  1750.  In  1754,  Rev.  John  Steel  en- 
tered and  served  in  this  region  for  about  two  years,  when  the 
Indian  troubles  connected  with  the  Old  French  'war  forced  him 
to  leave.  For  the  next  nineteen  years  nothing  was  done  for 
Presbyterianism  in  this  territory.  In  1774,  the  Rev.  Thomas 
McPherrin  accepted  a  call  to  the  united  congregations  of  East 
and  West  Conecocheague  and  Jerusalem.  By  Jerusalem,  the 
■region  about  Hagerstown  was  intended,  as  the  town  of  Ha- 
gerstown was  not  laid  out  until  1777  or  '8.  This  pastoral  re- 
lation was  dissolved  in  1779.  ISTothing  farther  was  attempted 
till  1788,  when  a  Mr.  Caldwell  was  appointed  by  Presbytery 
to 'supply  "for  one  year  "  at  Falling  Water,  Hagerstown  and 
Williamsport.  This  was  the  last  movement  which  the  Pres- 
byterians made  towards  the  securing  or  supplying  of  Hagers- 
town. In  1783  Mr.  Matthew  Lind  became  pastor  of  the 
neighboring  Associate  Reformed  churches  in  Franklin  county, 


BIG   SPRING    PItK.-lJVTERV.  43 

and  when  we  considur  the  destiliitioii  cif  the  place,  the  mis- 
sionaiy  character  of  his  ministry,  and  the  fact  that  lie  ac- 
quired members  of  his  Green  Castle  church  from  that  region, 
it  is  more  than  })rol)able  that  he  occasionally  preached  in  Ha- 
gerstown.  The  same  condition  of  affairs  continued  durinu' 
the  short  pastorate  of  Mr.  Young-,  and  during  more  than  half 
the  pastorate  of  ]Mr.  -I.  Jiiud.  And  yet  no  movement  towards 
a  church  organization  was  made  till  1817.  The  Tresliyterians 
of  the  place  were  members  of  the  church  in  Green  Castle,  or 
at  Welsh  Kun,  and  the  Associate  Reformed  families  were  con- 
nected with  the  Green  Castle  church.  The  Germans  consti- 
tuted the  major  i)art  of  the  community,  and  had  organizations, 
both  Reformed  and  Lutheran,  in  tlie  town.  The  Associate 
Reformed  element  must  have  gained  considerable  strength,  for 
the  call  which  was  given  to  Mr.  J.  Lind  in  1808,  was  from  the 
united  congregations  of  Green  Castle,  Hagerstown,  West  Cone- 
cocheague  and  the  Great  Cove.  Mr.  Lind  preached  regularly 
in  Hagerstown  during  his  entire  pastorate,  and  for  nine  years 
held  his  services  in  the  German  Reformed  building,  as  his 
father  and  Mr.  Young  had  done  before  him.  In  1817,  they 
built  of  brick  their  first  meeting-houso,  which  remained  till 
a  few  yeai*s  ago,  and  then  took  measures  to  be  separated  from 
Green  Castle,  and  to  be  formed  into  a  distinct  congregation. 

On  Saturda}-,  the  15th  of  November,  1817,  Robert  Douglass, 
John  Kennedy,  Joseph  (^abby  and  John  llobertson  were  or- 
dained by  Mr.  Lind  as  ruling  elders  in  the  Associate  Reformed 
church  of  Hagerstown.  Whether  they  were  chosen  by  the 
residents  of  that  place,  or  were  selected  by  the  session  of  (Ti-een 
Castle,  the  records  do  not  show.  After  their  ordination  they 
received  to  tlie  membership  of  the  church  in  Hagerstown  the 
following  persons,  who  were  members  in  Green  Castle,  viz : 
Robert  and  Sarah  Douglass,  John  and  Margaret  Kennedy, 
Joseph  and  Ann  Gabl)y,  Hugh  Kennedy,  John  Robertson, 
James  McCulloch,  John  and  Sarah  Johnston,  David  and  Ann 
Johnson,  Mrs,  Sarah  Simpson,  Mrs.  Susan  Dowing,  Peggy 
Johnson,  Jane  Milligan  and  Maria  Kerr.  And  upon  personal 
examination,  John  and  Ann  Gibbons,  Nancy  J)ouglass,  Mary- 
Douglass,  William  Robertson,  Samuel  Steel,  Elizabeth   Steel, 


44  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Susanna  Bell,  Rosanua  White,  James  Ferguson,  James  O.  Car- 
son, John  and  Xaney  McElheuuy,  Alex.  McNeil  and  Dr.  S. 
Youncr.  On  certificate  from  Presbyterian  churches,  Mrs.  Su- 
sanna Bell,  Mrs.  D.  Hoyt,  Mrs.  Ann  Hughes,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Farquar  and  David  Cook.  In  all  thirty-nine.  On  the  next 
day  their  new  church  was  used  for  the  lirst  time,  when  the 
Lord's  Supper  was  dispensed.  This  communion  season  was  en- 
joyed with  peculiar  pleasure,  because,  although  Presbyterians 
had  preached  there  for  eighty  years,  it  was  the  first  dispensa- 
tion of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  llagerstown  by  Presbyterian 
hands.  In  view  of  this  organization,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
cultivating  this  field  more  thoroughly,  Mr.  Lind  had,  a  month 
or  two  before,  resigned  his  charge  of  West  Conecocheague 
and  the  Great  Cove.  And  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  he 
divided  his  time  equally  between  Green  Castle  and  Hagers- 
town. 

THE  VALLEY  OF  VIRGINIA. 

The  first  settlers  in  Virginia  were  Englishmen  of  the  Cava- 
lier school,  who  believed  strongly  in  the  Divine  right  of  kings 
and  of  diocesan  bishops,  and  as  a  natural  result  the  early  col- 
ony became  more  intolerant,  in  both  church  and  State,  than  was 
England  under  the  regime  of  the  Stuarts,  and  far  exceeded 
anything  caricatured  in  the  spurious  Blue  Laws  of  Connecti- 
cut. Democratic  Presbyterianism  was  not  allowed,  for  a  cen- 
tury, to  find  a  resting-place  among  the  haughty  planters  of  the 
Old  Dominion.  In  1618  they  enacted  a  law,  that  "every  per- 
son should  go  to  church  on  Sundays  and  on  holy  days,  or  lie 
neck  and  heels  that  night  and  be  a  slave  to  the  colony  the  fol- 
lowing week."  For  the  second  oft'ense  he  was  to  be  a  "slave 
for  a  month,"  and  for  the  third  otiense  he  Avas  to  be  in  bond- 
age "for  a  year  and  a  day."  In  1642,  the  very  time  when  the 
prelatical  hierarchy  was  subverted  in  Britain,  it  was  enacted 
that  "no  minister  shall  be  permitted  to  ofliciate  in  this  coun- 
try but  such  as  shall  produce  to  the  Governor  a  testimonial 
that  he  hath  received  his  ordination  from  some  bishop  in  Eng- 
land; and  shall  then  subscribe  to  be  conformable  to  the  orders 
and  constitution  (jf  the  Church  of  Eno;laad ;  and  if  an}'  other 


BIG    SPRIXC    I'UESBYTEKY.  45 

person,  protending  himself  to  be  a  minister,  contrary  to  this 
act.  shall  presume  iv  teach  or  preach,  publicly  or  privately,  the 
Governor  or  council  arc  hereby  desired  and  empowered  to  sus- 
l»end  and  silence  the  person  so  ottending  ;  and  upon  his  obstinate 
persistence,  to  compel  him  to  depart  the  country  with  the  first 
convenience." 

When  the  Hanover-Brunswick  family  came  to  the  throne, 
I'olonial  pereecution  relaxed  u  little,  and  a  number  of  Irish 
rrosbyterians,  landing  at  Newcastle  and  Baltimore,  gradunllj 
found  their  wa}'  up  the  Shenandoah  river,  and  quietly  settled 
in  the  valleys  among  the  mountains.  Still,  even  then  and 
there,  their  annoyances  were  such  that  the  Synod  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  1738,  interceded  with  Mr.  Gooch,  then  Lieutenant- 
( Governor  of  Virginia,  on  behalf  of  "their  scattered  brethren 
who  resided  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge."  Mingled  in  this  stream 
of  Irish  were  many  Dissenters,  who  turned  at  once  to  the  As- 
sociate Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania  for  their  religious  privi- 
leges. We  have  now  no  means  of  knowing  how  many  churches 
Avere  organized  and  preaching  places  ^established  before  the 
union  of  1782,  in  this  section  of  country.  There  were  at  least 
two  or  three,  for  in  1783,  John  Rodgers,  late  of  Big  Spring, 
was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  united  congregations  of  Timber 
Fiidgc,  in  Rockbridge  county,  and  Old  Providence,  in  Augusta 
<'0unty.  These  churches  had  evidently  existed  for  some  time, 
as  they  had  acquired  permanence  and  strength  sufficient  for  the 
support  of  a  minister,  and  the  neighborhood  had  been  pretty 
well  settled  before  the  Revolution. 

Mr.  Rodgers  was  not  destined  to  enjoy  peace,  for  trouble  soon 
sprung  up  and  found  its  way  into  the  courts  of  the  church. 
In  1789  a  Sy nodical  commission,  consisting  of  Dobbin,  Boyse 
and  Smith,  was  sent  down  to  investigate  matters ;  and  the 
tinal  result  was,  that  in  17V»0  Mr.  Kodgers  was  suspended  from 
the  ministry  by  the  Synod,  for  "errors  in  doctrine  and  immor- 
fility  in  conduct."  It  is  nowhere  stated  what  these  were,  but 
from  what  had  taken  place  previously  we  can  readily  surmise 
at  least  in  part.  Mr.  Rodgers  never  again  sought  restoration 
to  the  ministry.  He  was  a  native  of  CriefF,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Grampians  in  Scotland,  was  educated  at  St.  Andrew's  College, 


46  JIISTORY    OP    THE 

arid  to  Ijis  ricioutiiic  and  theological  education  lie  added  a  thor- 
ough Scotch  course  in  medicine.  After  his  appointment  by 
Synod  as  a  missionary  to  this  country,  he  married,  October  1, 
1770,  Elizabeth  Blackwood,  of  gentle  and  wealthy  parentage, 
and  soon  afterwards  sailed,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Smith.  After 
a  long  and  rough  voyage  they  landed  and  reported  to  Presby- 
tery as  already  narrated.  He  was  a  man  of  gentle  spirit,  fair 
abilities,  and  thorough  education.  When  finally  suspended  from 
the  ministry,  he  turned  his  attention  exclusively  to  medicine,, 
and  became  a  very  successful  practitioner.  He  died  and  was 
buried,  in  1812,  at  Tinker  Ridge,  Va.,  where  he  had  lived  for 
twenty-nine  years.  His  Scotch  wife  died  during  his  first  pas- 
torate, and  lies  buried  in  the  parcel  of  ground  which  slie  had 
donated  to  the  Big  Spring  congregation  for  a  burying  place. 
He  married  a  second  wife,  Isabella  Ireland,  in  Cumberland 
county,  and  left  to  his  adopted  country  eight  sons  and  two 
daughters,  a  number  of  whose  descendants  are  worthy  United 
Presbyterians.  Four  of  his  children  settled  and  died  at  Galli- 
p^olis,  Ohio,  three  other^ settled  on  farms  within  five  miles  of 
Monmouth,  Illinois,  one  died  at  Xenia,  one  at  Ohillicothe,  and 
another  in  Michigan.  Six  of  his  great-great-grandchildren  are 
members  of  our  church  in  Mercer,  Pa.,  and  one  of  his  great- 
grandsons  is  a  ruling  elder  there. 

In  August,  1792,  John  Young  was  ordained  and  installed  as 
])astor  of  Timber  Ridge  and  Old  Providence,  and  discharged 
his  duties  with  great  acceptance  till  the  summer  of  1799,  when 
he  resigned,  and  removed  to  Green  Castle,  Pa.  It  was  a  long 
time  before  either  of  these  congregations  was  permitted  again 
to  see  the  face  of  a  pastor.  The  Timber  Ridge  congregation, 
became  associated  for  a  season  with  the  church  in  the  Forks  of 
the  James  River,  and  the  Rev.  William  Baldridge  served  them 
as  a  stated  supply  from  1803,  till  June,  1809,  when  he  accepted 
a  call  to  Cherry  Forks  and  connections  in  Adam  county,  Ohio? 
under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Kentucky,  where  he  lived 
many  years,  and  did  a  good  work  for  the  church.  For  eleven 
years  Timber  Ridge  depended  upon  occasional  supply,  till  June 
1820,  when  Rev.  James  Brown,  late  of  Concord,  commenced 
to  preach  there  and  at  Old  Providence.     They  gave  him  a  call 


BIG   SPRING    I'IlEr<BYTERy.  47 

as  pastor,  but  it  i.-^  believed  tliat  ho  was  never  installed,  and 
that  lie  remained  for  only  u  couple  of  years.  This  terminated 
all  connection  between  Timber  Ridge  and  this  Tresbytery. 
The  ])resumption  is  tlmt  after  the  crash  of  1822  they  sought 
sui)ply  from  the  first  l*resbytery  of  the  Carolinas.  In  1840,  the 
Associate  Presbytery  of  the  Carolinas  was  destroyed  because 
of  the  antagonism  between  its  Synod  and  the  peculiar  institu- 
tion of  the  South,  and  Kev.  Horatio  Thompson,  a  native  of 
Cambridge,  New  York,  who  was  connected  wath  it,  ^oon  after- 
Avards  joined  the  Associate  Reformed  Synod  of  the  South,  and 
located  near  to  Timber  Ridge,  and  eventually  became  its  fiastor, 
and  has  so  continued  to  the  present  time. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1804,  William  Adair  was  re- 
ceived as  a  prol)ationer  from  the  IVesbytorian  church,  and  for 
more  than  two  years  supplied  in  Miifiin  county,  Pennsylvania, 
and  among  the  clmrclies  in  the  Valley,  principally  at  Old  l*ro- 
vidence.  On  the  7tli  of  April,  1807,  he  was  ordained  at  jSTew- 
ville,  Pennsj'lvania,  and  at  the  same  meeting  of  J*resbytery  re- 
ceived and  acce])ted  a  call  from  the  churches  at  Old  Providence 
and  Sinks,  in  Monroe  county.  Froju  different  causes  his  in- 
stallation never  took  place,  but  he  labored  in  these  places  till 
the  19th  of  April,  1809,  when  he  was  released  from  Old  Pro- 
vidence, and  that  portion  of  his  time  was  given  to  churches  in 
Creenbrier  county.  Ilis  main  reasons  for  this  were  the  dis- 
tance of  a  hundred  miles  between  Monroe  and  Old  Providence, 
and  the  difficulties  intervening,  wliich  he  enumerated  iin  six 
large  rivers,  innumerable  creeks,  and  thi-ee  high  mountains, 
(n'er  one  of  which  there  was  no  regular  road.  Old  Providence 
received  no  more  stated  supply  till  the  summer  of  1820,  when 
the  Rev.  James  Brown  took  charge  of  it  and  Timber  Ridge 
for  two  or  tliree  years  as  already  narrated.  After  the  re-or- 
ganization of  the  Presl)ytery  in  1825,  Old  Providence  alone  of 
all  the  churches  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia  returned  to  it,  and 
sought  and  received  supplies,  more  or  less  steadily  till  the  19th 
of  April,  1844,  when  it  was  formally  transferred  to  the  First 
Associate  Reformed  Presbytery  of  the  South,  and  then  re- 
joined its  old  associate  at  Timber  Ridge,  and  has  ever  since  re- 
mained as  a  part  of  Dr.  Thompson's  pastorate. 


48  HISTORY    OF    THE 

The  church  in  the  Forks  of  the  James  River,  ih  Rockbridge 
county,  is  mentioned  in  the  records  of  the  church  very  soon 
after  the  union  of  1782,  and  is  probably  as  old  as  its  neio-hbor 
at  Timber  Ridge.  Its  first  pastor  was  the  Rev.  AVilliam  Bald- 
ridge,  who  was  ordained  and  installed  in  August,  1793.  Be- 
cause of  their  inability  to  support  him  he  resigned  the  pastor- 
ate on  the  18th  of  October,  1803,  although  he  continued  to 
minister  to  it,  in  connection  with  Timber  Ridge,  as  stated  sup- 
ply, till  the  summer  of  1809.  From  tliis  time  it  depended 
upon  occasional  supplies  sent  them  till  the  disorganization  of 
Presbytery  in  1822,  after  which  it  identified  itself  with  the 
Associate  Reformed  Synod  of  the  South,  and  constitutes  at 
present,  the  writer  thinks,  a  pastorate  of  the  same  under  other 
names  and  new  organizations. 

In  the  spring  of  1806  a  petition  was  received  from  a  society 
iit  the  Sinks,  in  Monroe  county,  Virginia,  asking  to  be  received 
under  the  care  of  Presbytery,  signed  by  two  ruling  elders  and 
other  members,  accompanied  by  a  liberal  subscription  paper 
signed  by  seventy-five  heads  of  familes  and  thirty  other  per- 
sons. These  came  from  an  old  organized  church  which  had 
trustees  and  elders  and  more  than  a  hundred  communicants, 
but  there  is  no  record  to  show  what  their  antecedent  connec- 
tion had  been.  In  April,  1808,  u  petition,  signed  hy  over  sixty 
names,  was  received  from  "-the  inhabitants  about  Sinking 
Creek,  Greenbrier  county,"  asking  to  be  recognized  as  "a 
church  under  your  care,"  "being  desirous  to  have  the  Gos})el 
preached  amongst  us,  more  according  to  the  principles  of  the 
Reformation  than  hitherto  we  have  had  it ;  and  being  favored 
^vith  a  copy  of  the  testimony  published  by  the  Associate  Re- 
formed Synod,  and  he'mg  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  principles 
of  3'our  church."  At  the  same  time  another  }-)etition,  couched 
in  the  same  words,  from  "  The  church  on  Antonie's  Creek,  Green- 
briar  county,  Virginia,"  and  making  the  same  request,  was  pre- 
sented, and  both  churches  were  received.  There  \vas  no  subse 
(^uent  organization  in  either  case,  showing  that  they  came  in  a 
fully  organized  form,  from  some  other,  but  now  unknown,  ec- 
clesiastical connection. 

As  stated  elsewhere,  in    1807,  Mr.  Adair   accepted  a   call 


BIG    SPRINO    PRESBYTEllV.  4'J 

from  the  Sinks  and  Old  rrovidence,  but  was  never  installed 
in  either.  After  his  release  from  Old  Providence,  in  1809,  he 
gave  onedialf  of  his  time  to  the  churches  on  Sinking  Creek 
an^i  on  Antonie's  Creek,  in  Greenbrier  county.  Mr.  Adair 
continued  to  serve  these  three  churches  as  stated  suj-tpl}'  till 
November  22,  1813,  when  the  Sinks  church  asked  that  they 
might  be  released  from  their  relation  to  him,  whatever  that 
relation  may  be,  inasmuch  as  he  had  never  been  regularly  in- 
stalled as  their  pastor.  l^resl>ytery  granted  them  their  request, 
and  Mr.  Adair  continued  during  the  subsequent  winter  with 
the  Greenbrier  churches.  The  minutes  of  Presbytery  under 
date  of  May  25,  1814,  have  this  brief  record :  "  Received  and 
read  a  petition  from  the  Rev.  William  Adair,  soliciting  per- 
mission to  cease  from  discharging  the  functions  of  the  Gospel 
Ministry  ;  and  on  motion, 

'•''Resolved^  That  the  prayer  of  the  above  petition  be  and  it  is 
hereby  granted." 

The  reasons  for  this  request  are  not  here  given,  but  the 
prompt  and  indulgent  action  of  the  Presbytery  evidently 
shows  that  error  in  doctrine,  or  immorality  in  conduct,  could 
not  have  been  involved,  for  they  would  have  been  met  with 
discipline,  instead  of  a  peaceful  secularization. 

These  churches,  particularly  the  Sinks,  continued  to  receive 
supply  from  Presbytery,  but  finally  disappeared  in  the  breaking 
up  of  1822.  There  is  now  a  church  in  Monroe  county  in  con- 
nection wdth  the  Associate  Reformed  Synod  of  the  South,  but 
whether  it  has  had  any  relationship  with  the  old  Sinks  church, 
the  writer  has  no  means  of  knowing. 

In  May,  1804,  a  church  on  Red  Creek,  Wythe  county,  Vir- 
ginia, was  received  as  a  vacancy,  and  was  supplied,  more  or 
less,  till  the  10th  of  June,  1807,  when  it  was  turned  over  to 
the  First  I*resbytery  of  the  Carolinas.  But  it  was  too  far 
away  from  any  Associate  Reformed  centre  to  feel  much  warmtii 
or  receive  much  care,  and  has  consequently  long  since  ceased 
to  exist,  or  passed  to  some  other  connection. 

During  the  year  1803-4,  several  small  vacancies  in  Virginia 
were  recognized  by  Presbytery,  and  sui>plied  according  to  its 
ability.  One  was  in  Rockingham  county,  another  in  Rock- 
4 


50  HISTORY    OF    THE 

bridge  county,  another  at  the  head  of  Smith  rivci',  and  another 
at  Dry  river.  They  were  all  feeble,  and  so  ^^ituated  that  they 
could,  not  be  conveniently  grouped  with  other  churches  into 
pastoral  charges,  and  the  Presbytery  had  not  the  men  and 
means  with  which  to  cultivate  them  vigorously,  so  they  soon 
dropped  off  and  disappeared. 

There  was  one  other  cluster  of  churches  in  the  extreme  cor- 
ner of  Virginia,  in  AVashington  county,  in  and  around  Abbing- 
don.  They  were  known  as  Abbingdon,  Beaver  Creek,  Silver 
Sprino",  Rock  Spring,  Glade  Spring,  and  the  Middle  Forks  of 
the  Holston.  They  w^ere  regarded  by  Presbytery  as  one  United 
church,  and  Avhether  they  had  but  one  organization,  or  several, 
or  how  many,  is  not  now  known.  It  is  probable  that  they 
were  formed  during  the  last  few  years  of  the  last  century,  and 
that  Jame*  Harper,  Sr.,  who  was  received  by  Presbytery,  De- 
cember 25,  1799,  from  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Derry,  Ire- 
land, Urst  ministered  to  them.  He  died  September  15,  1802, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  James  Harper,  Jr.,  who  was  re- 
ceived by  Presbytery,  October  30,  1800,  from  tlie  Associate 
J^resbytery  of  Derry,  Ireland,  and  commenced  to  supply  them 
in  the  year  1802,  and  accepted,  October  24,  1803,  a  call  to  be- 
come their  pastor.  The  General  Synod,  in  1805,  transferred 
Mr.  Harper  and  these  churches  to  the  l^resbytery  of  Kentuck}^, 
in  the  Synod  of  Scioto.  As  that  Presbytery  was  distracted  and 
unhappy  in  all  its  history,  makiugevcrythingto  wither  thatcame 
under  its  rule,  so  these  churches  soon  passed  from  its  roll, but  not 
from  existence  it  is  fondly  hoped.  Washington  county,  Vir- 
ginia, is  the  centre  of  the  Abbingdon  Presbytery  of  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  it  is  very  jn-obable  that  under  her  care, 
these  churches,  or  others  which  may  have  sprung  from  their 
ashes,  are  still  yielding  fruit  to  the  honor  of  our  covenant  God. 
And  thus  it  doubtless  is  with  many  or  all  of  the  churches 
which  the  Big  Spring  Presbytery,  or  its  predecessor,  planted 
and  nourished  amid  the  mountains  of  Virginia.  They  were 
not  crowded  out  by  the  influx  of  strangers  of  another  creed 
and  nationality,  but  under  the  changing  circumstances  of  our 
progressive  country,  they  were  brought  under  new  influences, 
and  entered  into  new  connections  where  they  not  only  wor- 


Bir,    SPRING   PRESBYTERY.  51 

shiped  the  God  of  their  fathers,  hut  did  so  with  greater  zeal 
and  witli  more  ahundant  fruits. 

CUMBERLAND  COUNTY. 

In  November,  1783,  llev.  John  Janiieson,  of  the  Burgher 
8ynod  of  Scotland,  arrived  in  this  country,  and  at  (^nce  con- 
nected himself  with  the  Associate  Reformed  church.  Aftei- 
raissionating  nearly  a  year,  he  was  installed,  on  the  22d  of  Sep- 
tember, 1784,  as  pastor  of  the  Big  Spring  congregation.  This 
congregation  included  the  Meanscs,  the  Bards,  the  Kyles,  and 
other  families  which  lived  in  or  near  to  Shippensburg  ;  and  for 
their  accommodation  Mr.  Jamieson  preached  regularly,  during 
his  whole  pastorate,  a  certain  part  of  his  time  in  Shippensburg. 
There  was,  however,  no  organization  there ;  it  was  merely  a 
preaching  station  of  the  Big  Spring  congregation,  with  which 
the  members  there  were  still  connected.  A  strong  dissatisfac- 
tion with  Mr.  Jamio^on  gradually  grew  up  in  his  charge, 
|)artly  because  of  some  erroneous  teaching  and  partly  because 
of  his  jealous,  fault-finding  spirit,  which  made  liis  manner 
somewhat  imperious  and  repulsive.  He  was  also  constantly  in 
trouble  with  his  brethren  in  the  Synod,  and  ceased  to  attend 
their  meetings.  For  this  neglect  Synod,  in  1790,  directed  his 
Presbytery  to  deal  with  liim.  The  meeting  in  1791  he  at- 
tended, but  in  his  published  account  of  his  subsequent  trial,  he 
tells  us  that  he  was  so  disgusted  that  he  resolved  to  terminate 
his  connection  with  the  body.  This  threat  he  did  not  carry 
out,  but  in  the  Spring  of  1792  he  resigned  his  charge  of  Big 
Spring,  and  after  spending  a  year  in  the  Kentucky  Tresby- 
tery,  was  installed,  on  the  11th  of  October,  1793,  in  the  pas- 
torate of  Ilannastown  and  connections,  in  Westmoreland 
county.  Here  he  soon  got  into  trouble,  and  after  a  series  of 
trials  in  Presbytery  and  Synod,  was  finally  deposed  and  ex- 
communicated by  Synod  at  its  meeting  in  1797,  for  false  and 
injurious  abuse  of  the  Synod  and  some  of  its  members,  and  for 
error  in  doctrine  in  reference  to  faith  and  the  ofier  of  the  gos- 
pel to  the  reprobate.  lie  was  never  restored,  and  some  three 
years  afterward  he  drifted  westward  into  Ohio. 

Mr.  Jamieson  was  a  man  of  decided  abilities  and  of  some 


02  HISTORY    OF    THE 

theological  attainments ;  so  that  his  Presbytery  placed  their 
theological  students  under  his  care,  and  Alexander  Porter, 
Alexander  McCoy  and  David  Proudfit  pursued  their  studies 
with  him.  lie  was  undoubtedly  a  hyper-Calvinist,  and  leaned 
somewhat  towards  fatalism  and  antinomianism  ;  but  his  great- 
est fault  was  his  temper.  Jealous  and  suspicious,  and  an  ultra- 
conservative,  he  looked  upon  everything^  in  this  country, 
civil  and  ecclesiastical,  as  going  to  ruin  ;  he  could  see  nothing- 
good  or  lovely  outside  of  Scotch  attainments  in  Church  and 
State ;  and  in  politics  as  well  as  religion  he  was  very  success- 
ful in  making  himself  unhapp3\ 

In  1793  the  church  of  Big  Spring  gave  a  call  to  the  Rev. 
John  Craig,  who  had  just  arrived  from  Ireland.  This  call  was 
accepted,  and  he  entered  upon  his  labors.  In  the  spring  of 
1794,  Mr.  T.  Smith  came  as  commissioner  of  Presbytery  to  install 
him,  and  found  him  dead,  so  that  he  was  buried  on  the  very 
day  he  was  to  have  been  installed.  lie  w^as  about  fifty  years 
old,  and  left  a  widow  and  three  children ;  his  only  son,  Abra- 
ham, became  a  minister,  and  long  preached  in  the  Associate 
Reformed  church  west  of  the  mountains.  A  number  of  his 
descendants  are  now  members  and  office  holders  in  the  United 
I'resbyterian  church. 

In  the  summer  of  1795,  a  call  was  given  to  a  Mr.  Kennedy, 
which  was  not  accepted.  Of  this  Mr.  Kennedy  the  writer 
knows  nothing. 

About  this  time  the  congregation  removed  their  old  log 
meeting  house  and  erected  a  new  stone  one  upon  the  same  site, 
more  in  harmony  with  the  improved  taste  of  the  times.  Its 
little  windows  and  high,  straight-backed,  square  pews,  still  re- 
membered by  a  few,  would  look  strange  in  our  days.  Churches 
have  made  greater  advances  in  the  matter  of  architecture, 
within  the  last  hundred  years  than  have  dwelling  houses. 

In  August,  1798,  Big  Spring  resolved  to  call  the  Rev.  James 
McConnell,  just  arrived  from  Ireland,  but  the  cluster  in  Ship- 
peusburg  refused  to  join  in  the  call.  This  produced  ill-feel- 
ings, and  Big  Spring,  at  a  congregational  meeting,  September 
1,  1798,  unanimously  resolved  "to  supplicate  the  Presbytery  for 
a  formal  separation  from  Shippensburg."     Their  prayer  was 


BIC,    SPRING    rRESBYTEllY.  53 

granted,  and  during  the  autumn  of  179?^,  or  most  probably  tlie 
spring  of  1799,  Mr.  McConnell  wa?;  installed  as  pastor  of  Big 
Spring. 

As  a  preacher,  ^Ir.  McConnell  "was  neither  profound  nor  sug- 
gestive. His  style  was  erratic,  and  he  was  disposed  to  confuse 
liis  liearers  by  the  introduction  of  irrelevant  matter.  As  a 
])astor  lie  was  active  and  diligent,  and  reasonably  successful. 
llis  warm-hearted,  convivial  Irisli  temperament  brought  him 
sometimes  into  trouble,  and  twice  they  had  to  ])e  adjudicated 
in  Presbytery.  On  the  6th  of  November,  1809,  he  resigned, 
and  a  year  afterward  was  transferred  to  the  Presbytery  of  Mo- 
nongahela,  where  he  settled  in  Deer  Creek  and  Puekety,  and 
died  March  3,  1848,  at  an  advanced  age. 

After  Mr.  McConnell's  departure,  difficulties  sprung  up  in  the 
session,  which  threatened  serious  trouble.  Some  of  its  mem- 
bers had  lost  the  confidence  of  a  majority  of  the  congregation, 
and  to  remedy  matters,  the  whole  session  proposed  to  resign, 
so  that  the  congregation  might  elect  a  new  one.  oS^ot  knowing 
how  to  do  this,  they  asked  permission  and  direction  from  the 
Presbytery,  which  were  duly  given.  The  peace  offering  was 
made,  and  the  desired  result  was  secured. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1811,  the  congregation  resolved  to 
tender  a  call  to  the  Rev.  John  M.  Duncan ;  but  when  he  was 
notified  of  this,  he  discourged  the  movement,  and  it  never  went 
to  Presbytery,  and  he  settled  in  Baltimore.  In  November, 
1813,  a  call  was  given  to  Rev.  John  McFarland  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  Kentucky,  which  was  declined,  and  he  settled  in  Chil- 
licothe,  Ohio.  In  1819,  an  eftbrt  was  made  to  secure  the  Rev. 
George  Junkin,  which,  after  some  negotiation,  failed.  During 
the  spring  of  1822,  a  call  was  given  to  Joseph  McCarrell,  a  na- 
tive of  Shippensburg,  but  this  too  was  declined,  and  he  settled 
in  Newburg,  New  York. 

Although  Shippensburg  was  not  incorporated  as  a  borough 
till  January,  1819,  yet  it  is  the  oldest  village  west  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna, excepting  York.  In  June,  1730,  Richard  Morrow, 
John  Culbertson,  Alexander  Uaskey,  Alexander  Steen,  John 
McCall,  Hugh  Rippey,  John  Strain,  and  four  others,  with 
their  families  settled  here,  and  they  were  all  Irish  Presbyterians. 


54  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Til  17;^>3,  ''there  were  eighteen  cabins  in  the  town."  In  1737, 
Edward  Shippen  of  Philadelphia,  father-in-law  of  Bendict 
Arnold,  })urchased  of  the  Penns  a  large  tract  of  land  embrac- 
ing the  present  town  and  much  of  the  surrounding  country, 
and  the  place  took  its  name  after  him.  At  Middle  Spring, 
three  miles  north  of  this,  and  midway  between  Big  Spring  and 
Rocky  Spring,  a  preaching  station  was  early  established,  and 
about  1740,  a  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  there.  The 
Presbyterians  of  Shippensburg  and  vicinity  belonged  to  this 
church  ;  but  Mr.  Shippen  and  his  agents,  and  the  government 
employees  at  Forts  Morris  and  Franklin  located  at  Shippens- 
burg, were  Episcopalians,  and  an  eftbrt  was  made  to  establish  an 
Episcopal  church.  This  scheme,  however,  never  promised  to 
be  successful,  and  when  the  agents  and  officers  were  with- 
drawn, it  was  wholly  abandoned.  The  settlers  had  felt  the 
iron  hand  of  prelacy  too  sorely  in  Ireland  to  come  readily 
to  its  embrace  in  this  country.  For  fifty  years  there  was  no 
stated  Presbyterian  preaching  in  Shippensburg;  the  Synod  of 
Ulster  Irish  went  as  best  they  could  to  Middle  Spring,  and  the 
Seceder  Irish  to  Big  Spring.  During  the  eight  or  nine  years 
of  Mr.  Rodgers'  pastorate,  it  is  well  nigh  certain  that  he 
preached  occasionally  in  Shippensburg,  in  passing  through  it  al- 
most every  week  between  Big  Spring  and  the  Conecoclieagues. 
But  when  Mr.  Jamieson  took  charge  of  Big  Spring  this  was  re- 
cognized as  a  regular  preaching  station  in  his  congregation, 
and  he  held  services  here  about  once  a  month,  during  his  en- 
tire pastorate. 

The  lot  numbered  216  on  the  village  plot,  was,  June  2d,  1794, 
deeded  by  the  Shippen  brothers  to  the  Associate  Reformed 
church,  and  a  stone  meeting  house  was  erected  on  it  about  the 
year  1797,  which  was  subsequently  enlarged,  and  still  remains. 
It  is  impossible  now  to  tell  when  the  church  was  regularly  and 
canonically  organized,  for  it  had  a  kind  of  half  organization 
for  3-ears,  but  was  still  subordinate  to  or  rather  a  constituent 
part  of  the  congregation  of  Big  Spring. 

When  the  Shippensburgers  refused  to  ratify  Big  Spring's 
election  of  Mr.  McConnell,  the  congregation  of  Big  Spring 
had  a  public  meeting  on  the  1st  of  September,  1798,  *'  To  take 


BIG    SPRING    PRESPA'TF.RY.  55 

under  consideration  the  distressed  situation  of  the  cougroga- 
tion,  occasioned  by  the  disorderly  behavior  of  tlie  community 
of  Shippensburg."  The  question  was  asked,  "Can  we  remain 
in  connection  with  the  commmiity  of  Shippensburg?  &c.,"  and 
they  resolved  "to  supplicate  the  Presbytery  for  a  formal  sepa- 
ration from  Shippensburg."  In  all  these  proceedings  towards 
a  separation,  they  never  speak  of  the  church  or  congregation 
of  Shippensburg,  but  always  of  the  cohimunity  of  Shippens- 
burg. I'rom  this,  and  other  incidental  circumstances,  it  might 
be  inferred  that  a  reo-ular  and  full  organization  did  not  take 
place  till  after  this  separation.  The  probabilities  are  that 
such  is  the  fact,  and  the  Presbytery,  in  October,  1798,  directed 
that  it  should  be  immediately  and  formally  organized,  and 
united  in  a  pastoral  charge  with  Chambersburg,  which  was  at 
this  time  made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Matthew  Lind. 
In  1799,  it  first  appeared  on  the  roll  of  Presbytery,  and  was 
doubtless  organized  during  the  spring  of  that  year. 

It  is  a  matter  of  record,  that  in  May,  1805,  John  Means, 
"William  Bard  and  James  Means  were  ordained  and  installed  as 
ruling  elders,  but  there  were  elders  previous  to  this.  "We 
know  that  ^latthew  Kyle,  who  resided  midway  between  Xew- 
ville  and  Shippensburg,  attended  at  the  latter  place  during  the 
entire  pastorate  of  Mr.  Walker,  and  that  he  ofiiciate<l  as  an 
elder  during  all  that  time,  and  the  presumption  is,  that  he  was 
ordained  and  installed  at  the  organization  of  the  church. 
There  is  a  bare  possibility  that  Marshall  Means  and  John 
Mitchell  were  a^isociatcd  with  him,  but  of  this  there  is  no  cer- 
tainty. The  four  elders  mentioned  lived  till  after  the  congre- 
gation passed  into  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  no  additions 
were  made. 

During  the  autumn  of  1798,  or  early  spring  of  '99,  James 
Walker  was  received  by  the  First  Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania, 
as  a  probationer  from  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Down,  Ire- 
land, and  on  the  4th  of  September,  1799,  he  was  ordained  and 
installed  as  pastor  of  the  congregation  of  Shippensburg  and 
Chambersburg.  He  resided  in  Shippensburg,  and  gave  half  of 
his  time  to  each  place.  On  the  8th  of  August,  1820,  he  re- 
signed, received  a  certificate  of  dismission  from  the  Presbytery, 


56  HISTORY   OF   THE 

and  removed  to  tlic  west.  Mr.  AV^'ilker  was  clerk  of  the  Pres- 
b^-tcry  of  Big  Spring  from  its  organization  till  his  removal, 
and  was  very  punctual  in  his  duties  as  a  presbyter,  lie  was  a 
large,  heavy-set  man,  rather  pompous  in  his  manners,  although 
genial  in  spirit.  He  always  carried  a  cane,  and  never  preached 
without  gloves,  and  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  good 
preacher. 

In  March,  1821,  Shippensburg  and  Chambersburg  gave  a  call 
to  the  Rev.  Robert  McCartee,  which  Avas  declined.  On  the  23d 
of  October,  1821,  Thomas  M.  Strong  was  ordained  and  installed 
over  these  two  churches.  Immediately  after  jNIr.  Strong's  set- 
tlement, a  union  was  formed  between  his  congregation  in  Ship- 
pensburg and  the  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at 
Middle  Spring,  who  resided  in  or  near  the  village.  By  this 
means,  quite  an  accession  was  made  to  the  church  of  very  ex- 
cellent families,  and  the  only  w^onder  was,  that  something  of 
this  kind  had  not  been  done  many  years  before,  for  the  diificul- 
ties  in  the  way  were  but  very  few,  as  the  old  Psalms  were  as 
dearly  cherished  in  Middle  Spring  as  in  Shippensburg,  and  re- 
mained in  both  places  as  the  psalmody  of  the  church  until  but 
a  few  years  ago.  The  only  possible  reason  for  remaining  apart 
was  a  difterence  upon  the  subject  of  communion,  and  as  Mr. 
Strong  had  been  a  student  of  Dr.  Mason,  and  sympathized 
with  his  views,  this  reason  ceased  to  operate. 

The  congregation  of  Big  Spring  had  some  outlying  families 
in  and  around  Carlisle,  and  westward  along  the  Walnut  Bottom 
road,  which  did  not  go  into  the  union  of  1782.  They  sympa- 
thized with  the  residuary  party  in  the  old  Presbytery,  and 
waited  hopefully  for  the  future.  About  1789,  the  Presbytery- 
had  been  so  strengthened  by  the  arival  of  three  or  four  min- 
isters from  Scotland,  that  it  was  able  to  look  after  these  fami- 
lies, and  began  to  send  them  supplies.  In  1796,  a  lot  on  West 
street,  in  Carlisle,  was  conveyed  by  the  Penns,  in  consideration 
of  six  pounds,  to  William  Blair,  William  Moore,  John  Smith 
and  John  McCoy,  as  trustees  of  the  "Associate  Presbyterian 
congregation,  adhering  to  the  subordination  of  the  Associate 
Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania,  of  which  the  Rev.  William  Mar 
shall  and  James  Clarkson  were  then  members."     It  is  believed 


Bid    SPRING    PRESBYTKRY.  'U 

that  the  church  ^vas  not  retrularly  organized  by  Prcsbytur}-  till 
1798,  and  that  this  action  was  taken  in  anticipation  of  such  event 
A  stone  building  was  erected  in  1802,  and  during  the  ,^anie  year 
Eev.  Francis  Pringle,  who  came  from  Ireland  in  1799,  was 
installed  as  pastor.  The  Woodburns,  the  Rosses,  the  Moores, 
and  a  number  more  of  the  most  substantial  and  leading  families 
of  the  congregation  lived  at  a  considerable  distance  in  the 
country,  and  for  their  convenience  it  was  deemed  expedient  to 
provide  a  preaching  place  in  the  country  where  public  services 
could  be  occasional!}-  held.  Mr.  Moore,  of  Dickinson  township, 
donated  an  acre  from  the  corner  of  his  farm,  about  six  miles 
from  Carlisle,  as  a  site  for  a  meeting-house  and  graveyard,  and 
here,  in  1809  or  1810,  a  stone  church  was  built.  There  was 
no  separate  organizations  in  any  sense ;  it  was  a  mere  preaching 
station,  and  the  sacrament  of  the  Supper  was  probably  never 
administered  in  the  house;  the  communion  services  were 
always  observed  in  Carlisle  by  the  entire  congregation.  In 
addition  to  his  pastoral  labors,  ^Ir.  Pringle  did  considerable 
missionar3-  work  in  the  small  vacancies  at  Mercersburg,  and 
in  Huntingdon  county. 

ADAMS  COUNTY. 

In  the  minutes  of  the  Associate  Reformed  Synod,  which 
met  in  Philadelphia  in  November,  1783,  it  is  recorded  that 
"  Mr.  Murray,  minister  at  Marsh  Creek,  in  name  of  his  congre- 
gation, gave  in  a  verbal  petition,  requesting  the  advice  of 
Synod  in  their  case.  Agreed  that  Mr.  Murray,  in  consideration 
of  his  iniirm  state  of  health,  be  at  liberty  to  give  up  his  pas- 
toral charge  of  that  congregation,  continuing,  however,  to  ex- 
ercise the  office  of  the  ministry  among  them,  as  he  shall  find 
ability  ;  and  that  the  Synod  will  contribute  what  they  are  able 
towards  his  comfortable  support,  and  that  the  Moderator  write 
a  pressing  letter  to  said  congregation  on  this  head." 

Mr.  Murray  died  during  the  following  year,  in  the  prime  ot 
manhood.  "We  can  find  but  few  memorials  of  him,  but  those 
few  present  him  in  a  favorable  way.  It  is  believed  that  he 
came  from  Scotland  in  1773,  in  company  with  Mr.  Logan ;  that 


58  HISTORY   OF   THE 

he  was  thoroughly  educated,  and  was  held  in  esteem  by  his  par- 
ishioners and  his  fellow-presbyters. 

Indeed,  it  is  worthy  of  note,  that  all  the  ministers  sent  out 
in  those  early  days,  were  men  of  fine  education  and  good 
standing  at  home.  They  came,  not  because  they  could  not 
iind  a  charge  in  their  native  land,  but  because  they  were  sent 
by  Synod  as  suitable  men  to  found  the  Church  in  this  new  and 
distant  country. 

In  the  autumn  of  1785,  or  spring  of  1786,  Mr.  Dobbin,  of 
Rock  Creek,  was  called  and  installed  for  half  his  time  in  Marsh 
Creek,  and  thus  he  continued  to  divide  his  time  to  the  end  of 
his  ministry.  These  two  congregations  have  ever  since  re- 
mained associated  in  the  same  pastoral  charge. 

The  Rock  Crock  congregation  built  their  first  house  for 
worship  of  logs,  near  the  stream  w^hich  gave  it  its  name,  and 
situated  about  one  mile  northeast  of  where  Gettysburg  now 
stands.  Here  they  worshiped  till  1805,  when  a  new  house 
was  erected  in  the  village  of  Gettysburg,  which  was  now 
starting  up.  This  w^as  the. first  church  built  by  any  denomi- 
nation in  the  village.  It  was  a  substantial  structure  of  brick, 
of  good  size,  finished  in  the  old  style,  with  high-backed  pews, 
brick  paved  aisles,  high  pulpit,  and  huge  sounding  board.  It 
has  since  been  modernized,  and  promises  to  serve  tlte  congre- 
gation comfortably  for  many  years  to  come.  In  1808,  they 
were  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  as  "  The  Asso- 
ciate Reformed  Congregation  of  Gettysburg." 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1807,  the  Synod  of  Pennsylvania 
transferred  Mr.  Dobbin  and  his  charge  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Philadelphia  to  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring,  for  the  purpose 
of  strengthening  the  latter  Presbytery.  In  the  autumn  of 
1809,  after  Mr.  Dobbin's  death,  the  congregations  were  returned 
to  their  original  connection. 

On  the  20th  of  October,  1808,  Mr.  Dobbin  preached  while 
laboring  under  a  severe  cold,  which  resulted  in  a  hemorrhage 
of  the  lungs,  and  this  soon  settled  into  a  rapid  consumption, 
from  which  he  died  on  the  1st  of  June,  1809,  in  the  67th  year 
of  his  age,  and  was  buried  in  the  Marsh  Creek  graveyard, 
where  he  had  garnered  two  wives  and  several  children. 


BIO   SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  59 

Mr.  J)obbui  was  the  son  of  a  pious  sailor,  and  was  born  in 
Londonderry,  Ireland,  in  1742 ;  was  thoroughly  educated  at 
Glasgow  University,  and  was  licensed  and  immediately  after- 
wards ordained  by  the  Reformed  Presbytery  of  Scotland,  as 
a  missionary  to  the  New  "World.  Uu  landed  at  Xew  Castle, 
Delaware,  about  the  middle  of  December,  1773,  and  during 
the  summer  of  1774  was  installed  at  Rock  Creek,  where  he 
•continued  till  his  death.  He  took  a  very  active  part  in  accom- 
plishing the  union  of  1782,  and  always  held  a  prominent  and 
honored  position  in  the  Associate  Reformed  Church.  He  was 
an  accomplished  linguist,  especially  in  Hebrew,  and  established 
the  first  Classical  School  west  of  the  Susquehanna,  and  more 
than  sixty  of  his  pupils  became  professional  men,  and  not  less 
than  twenty-live  of  tliem  ministers  of  the  gospel.  Before  the 
establishment  of  the  Theological  Seminary  in  Xew  York,  he 
had  trained  eight  of  our  early  ministers  in  Hebrew  and  The- 
ology. As  a  presbyter,  and  as  a  pastor,  he  was  active,  diligent 
and  laborious ;  as  a  preacher,  he  was  both  interesting  and  in- 
structive, and  dwelt  much  and  lovingly  upon  tlie  doctrines  of 
the  atonement,  the  offices  of  Christ,  and  the  work  of  the  Me- 
diator. In  disposition,  he  was  ver}-  cheerful  and  agreeable, 
and  in  social  intercourse,  was  much  enjoyed  because  of  his  wit 
and  playfulness.  Dr.  McJimsey,  who  was  reared  under  his 
ministry,  and  largely  e<lucated  classically  and  theologically  by 
him,  testified  of  him,  that  he  possessed  "  an  uncommon  combi- 
nation of  ministerial  gifts  and  graces,  of  prudence,  of  meek- 
ness, of  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of  public  duty,  of  the 
love  of  peace,  and  pleasantness  of  temper." 

In  1812,  John  M.  Duncan  received  a  call  as  successor  to  Mr. 
Dobbin,  which  he  declined;  and  in  the  spring  of  1814,  Charles 
G.  McLean  was  ordained  and  installed  as  pastor  of  the  churches 
in  Gettysburg  and  at  "  the  Hill,"  and  so  remained  for  nearly 
thirty  years. 

YORK  couyry. 

After  the  union  of  1782,  the  church  at  Muddy  Creek  or 
Guinston,  although  denominationally  isolated  from  the  sur- 
rounding churches,  enjoyed  [>eace  and  harmony  within  itself, 


60  HISTORY    OF    THE 

uiid  pi'ospfi'ed  ill  uU  its  material  and  spiritual  interests.  In  ac- 
cordance with  tlie  directions  of  the  Associate  Presbytery  of 
Pennsylvania,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  of  the  members  of 
this  congregation  engaged,  in  October,  1793,  in  a  public  renewal 
of  their  Covenant  engagements.  This  it  is  believed  was  the 
iirst  time  and  the  only  time  that  this  church  engaged  publicly 
and  formally  in  this  work.  Shortly  after  the  commencement 
of  the  present  century^  Mr.  Clarkson's  health  began  to  fail,  and 
in  May,  1805,  he  applied  to  Synod  for  a  supply  for  his  pulpit, 
which  was  granted,  although  he  continued  to  act  as  moderator 
of  session,  until  he  resigned  his  charge,  in  March,  1808.  The 
congregation  continued  to  minister  to  his  support  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  oOth  of  October,  1811,  when  he  had  en- 
tered upon  the  seventy-fourth  year  of  his  age. 

Mr.  Miller  describes  Mr.  Clarkson  as  "  a  systematic  and  doc- 
trinal preacher  generally.  Though  he  could  not  be  called  an 
eloquent  speaker,  yet  he  was  an  interesting  preacher.  He  had 
an  impressive  earnestness  in  his  manner,  w^ell  calculated  to 
draw  attention.  His  enunciation  was  clear,  manly  and  distinct ; 
and  though  he  sometimes  hesitated,  he  would  frequently  speak 
with  fluency.  All  his  talents  were  of  the  useful,  rather  than 
of  the  brilliant  kind.  As  a  man  he  was  cheerful  and  affable  ; 
at  the  same  time  he  possessed  a  native  dignity,  of  which  he 
could  not  easily  divest  himself,  undeviatingly  adhering  to 
whatever  he  conceived  to  be  right,  regardless  of  consequences." 

Guinston  made  many  efforts  before  they  were  successful  in 
getting  a  successor  to  Mr.  Clarkson.  On  the  17th  of  June, 
1808,  they  gave  a  call  to  the  Rev.  Robert  Bruce,  which  was 
declined ;  in  1810,  they  called  the  Rev.  John  Mushet,  but  he 
declined  ;  in  1811,  they  made  a  determined  effort  to  get  Alex- 
ander McClelland  for  their  pastor,  and  offered  him  an  installa- 
tion present  of  more  than  a  hundred  dollars,  but  they  were 
still  unsuccessful ;  in  1816,  they  called  Alexander  "Wilson,  and 
he  too  declined  their  call.  Finally,  on  the  20th  of  August, 
1818,  Alexander  Gordon  was  ordained  and  installed  as  their 
pastor. 

Having  received  their  new  minister,  the  congregation  ex- 
hibited new  energy  and  activity,  and  formed  new  plans  for  the 


Bid    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  Gi 

more  thorough  cultivation  of  tlieir  field.  In  1810,  they  formed 
a  local  Bible  Society  auxiliary  to  the  American  Bible  Society, 
and  established  two  Sabbath  Schools  emljracins;  more  than 
sixt}'  members.  In  1821,  a  portion  of  the  Associate  Kefornicd 
congreg-ation  in  Lower  Chauceford,  became  verj-  mucli  dissat- 
isfied with  the  course  of  the  Philadelphia  Presbytery,  to  which 
they  belonored,  in  reference  to  the  proposed  union  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  during  that  and  the  succeeding  3-ear 
transferred  their  membership  to  the  Guinston  church,  without 
determining  whether  the  arrangement  should  be  permanent, 
or  only  temporary,  according  to  the  results  of  the  union  efi:brts. 

In  reference  to  the  origin  of  the  church  of  Hopewell  there 
are  no  records,  and  but  fragmentary  traditions.  The  probabili- 
ties are  that  its  first  families  were  connected  with  tlu^  Muddy 
Creek  or  Guinston  congregation,  and  separated  themselves 
therefrom,  when  Mr.  Clarkson  and  the  great  body  of  his  charge 
declined  going  into  the  union.  This  led  them  to  associate 
themselves  with  their  more  distant  neighbors  in  Lower  Chance- 
ford,  and  for  twenty  years  Hopewell  w^as  in  reality,  if  not  in 
form,  an  out-lying  preaching  station  of  that  church,  and  for 
half  a  century  more,  connected  with  it  in  a  pastoral  charge. 

The  first  Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania  reported  to  Synod  at 
its  meeting  in  Xew  York,  October  2l8t,  1802,  that  "  a  Mr. 
Charles  Campbell,  who  came  into  this  country  under  a  sentence; 
of  suspension  from  the  holy  ministry,  by  the  Associate  Pres- 
bytery of  Berry,  in  Ireland,  but  fully  purged  of  scandal,  and  re- 
stored to  the  communion  of  the  church,  has  been  admitted  to 
preach  the  gospel  under  the  care  of  Presbytery,  in  order  tc» 
make  trial  of  his  humble  and  pious  deportment  previous  to  his 
restoration  to  the  ministerial  oifice  ;  and  as  far  as  is  known  has 
given  general  satisfaction,  both  in  his  public  ministrations  and 
private  deportment."  Synod  was  by  no  means  pleased  with 
this  action,  and  "  Resolved^  That  the  conduct  of  the  First  Pres- 
bytery of  Pennsylvania,  in  restoring  Mr.  Campbell  to  preach  the 
gospel,  was  incautious  and  precipitate ;  that  they  and  the  other 
Presbyteries  under  the  inspection  of  this  Synod,  be  and  they 
hereby  are  required  to  exercise  the  utmost  caution  in  the  ad- 
mission of  ministers  from  other  countries  without  satisliictor} 


G2  HISTORY    OF   THE 

testimonials."'  It  was  further  "  Resolved^  That  the  case  of  Mr, 
Campbell  (that  is,  his  restoration  to  the  ministry)  be  referred 
to  the  Synod  of  Pennsylvania  ;  and  that  they  defer  any  deci- 
sion thereon  until  official  information  be  received  from  the  As- 
sociate Presbytery  of  Derry,  in  Ireland,  by  which  he  was  sus- 
pended." It  was  also  "  Ordered,  That  the  First  Presbytery  of 
Pennsylvania  w^rite,  without  delay,  to  the  Associate  Presby- 
tery of  Derry,  in  Ireland,  requesting  such  information."  The 
minutes  of  the  Synod  of  Pennsylvania  are  lost,  but  it  is  be- 
lieved that  Mr.  Cami)bell  was  restored  to  the  ministry,  by  the 
Synod  at  its  first  meeting,  held  May  25th,  1803,  at  Marsh 
Creek.  The  probabilities  are  that  Mr.  Campbell  came  to  this 
country  in  the  summer  or  autumn  of  1801,  and  having  been 
granted  the  privilege  by  Presbytery  of  preaching  as  a  proba- 
tioner for  restoration  to  the  ministry,  he  began,  in  Xovember 
of  that  year,  to  serve  Low^er  Chanceford  and  Hopewell  as  sta.ted 
supply.  Two-thirds  of  his  time  to  the  former,  and  one-third 
to  the  latter,  which  was  organized  about  1801,  and  most  likely 
in  view  of  this  arrangement. 

These  churches  gave  Mr.  Campbell  a  call  to  become  their 
pastor,  and  he  accepted  it,  but  whether  his  installation  ever 
took  place,  the  writer  is  not  able  to  determine,  most  probably 
it  did  in  the  latter  part  of  1803,  for  Mr.  Camjtbell,  soon  after 
this,  on  the  7th  of  April,  1804,  died,  in  the  thirty-sixth  year  of 
his  age.  He  was  born  in  Stewardstown,  in  county  of  Tyrone, 
Ireland ;  was  educated  under  Brown  of  Haddington ;  was 
licensed  before  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  preached 
in  the  county  of  Londonderry.  His  short  career  in  this  country 
was  very  quiet  and  uneventful,  but  he  left  a  pleasant  memory 
both  as  a  man  and  as  a  preacher. 

The  Rev.  Josiali  Wilson,  of  Armagh,  Ireland,  and  a  student 
of  Brown  of  Haddington,  was  installed,  January  1,  1808,  a& 
pastor  of  Lower  Chanceford  and  Hopewell ;  but  his  pastorate 
was  also  short,  for  he  died  in  September,  1812.  Having  been 
trained  in  medicine,  he  was  to  a  certain  extent  the  physician  as 
well  as  spiritual  guide  of  his  flock.  He  was  held  in  high  esti- 
mation for  his  learning  and  consistent  piety. 

In  1806,  these  congregations  had  given   a  call  to  the  Rev. 


BIG    SPRING    rUESBYTERT.  63 

Tliomas  Smitli  of  Tuseiirora,  which  wasduclined  ;  and  in  1H18, 
they  called  Mr.  Isaiah  Niblock,  hut  witlioutsucccs.;,aiuIa  lony: 
vacancy  was  then  experienced. 

PERRY  AND  JUNIATA  COUNTIES. 

When  Mr.  Logan  began  to  preach  in  Fermanagli  in  1777, 
the  boundaries  of  his  congregation  were  not  definitely  fixed  in 
any  direction  ;  and  he  did  a  considerable  amount  of  missionary 
work  for  many  miles  around.  Immediately  south  of  the 
Juniata  river  and  the  Tuscarora  mountain  h  the  valley  of 
Racoon  Creek,  which  was  early  settled  by  Irish,  an^d  often 
visited  by  Mr.  Logan.  Towards  the  end  of  the  last  centuiy  a 
small  congregation  was  organized  here,  and  recognized  as  a 
part  of  Mr.  Logan's  pastoral  charge  without  any  of  the  for- 
malities of  a  call  or  installation.  This  congregation  embraced 
not  only  the  lower  part  of  Racoon  Valley,  but  stretched  across 
the  river,  and  included  the  country  around  Avhat  is  now  ilil- 
lerstown.  When  Fermanagh  was  joined  to  Tuscarora,  Mr.  JSniith 
did  not  assume  the  pastoral  care  of  Millerstown,  as  this  congre- 
gation w^as  now  called,  and  for  three  or  four  years  it  was  depen- 
dent upon  supplies  from  Trcsbytery.  In  1809,  it  was  assigned  by 
I'resbytery  to  Mr.  Smith,  as  a  part  of  his  charge,  and  to  receive 
one-fifth  of  his  time.  This  arrangement  continued  only  a  year, 
although  Mr.  Smitli  for  ten  years  afterwards  preached  there 
occasionally  as  he  could  make  it  convenient.  The  i-esult  of 
this  isolation  and  irregular  supply  was,  that  those  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river  became  assimilated  with  the  Thompsontown 
end  of  the  Fermanagh  congregation,  and  those  in  Racoon 
Valley  became  lost  to  the  Associate  Reformed  Church. 

About  1802  or  '3,  Mr.  Logan's  health  became  so  feeble  that 
he  was  unable  to  ride  to  the  church,  but  as  his  dwelling  house 
was  large  he  had  the  congregation  gathered  there,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  preach  to  them  ever}'  Sal)bath.  On  the  19th  of  May, 
1805,  he  preached  in  his  house  as  usual  and  with  his  usual 
ability  in  the  morning,  and  during  the  interval  of  worshij)  he 
retired  to  his  study  to  rest,  before  commencing  the  afternoon 
services.  During  that  half  hour's  rest,  without  any  special 
premonition,  he  suddenly  died,  literally  falling  with  his  armor 


64  HISTORY    OF    THE 

on.  He  left  no  cliiklreu,  and  his  widow  moved  to  Carlisle 
where  she  soon  died.  He  was  much  respected  for  his  learning 
and  piety  both  in  his  congregation  and  in  the  community. 
The  following  inscription  on  his  tomhstoue  gives  a  fair  epitome 
of  his  life  and  character: 

' '  luterred 

is  the  dust  of  the 

Rev.  William  Logac. 

Scotland 

Is  the  place  oi  his  birth  and  education. 

The  sacred  ministry  his  choice. 

•  He  was  born  in  the  year  174:3. 

Arrived  in  America  1773. 

Died  suddenly  on  Sabbath,  May  19,  1805,  in  the 

63d  year  of  his  age  after  preaching  that  forenoon. 

For  28  years,  with  diligence  and  fidelity,  he 

discharged  the  duty  of  his  office  to  his  flock  in 

Fermanagh  and  Racoon  Valley. 

Prudence,  Piety,  Moderation,  Good  Sense,  and 

Sound  Patriotism  were  some  of  his 

Characteristics. 

A  faithful  husband  and  a  steady  friend." 

Tuscarora  vallej^  was  settled  as  early  as  1745,  and  by  the 
same  class  of  immigrants  that  lirst  peopled  all  these  valleys 
west  of  the  Susquehanna.  They  sought  and  received  supply 
of  preaching  from  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania 
iis  soon  as  that  Presbytery  had  any  supply  to  send,  but  a 
church,  it  is  believed,  was  not  formally  organized  till  about 
1801,  or  the  year  in  which  the  Rev.  T.  Smith  was  installed  as 
its  pastor  by  the  First  Associate  Reformed  Presbytery  of 
I'eunsylvania. 

Thomas  Dobbs,  James  Innis,  William  Hart  and  Robert 
Black  constituted  its  first  board  of  ruling  elders.  The  proba- 
bilities are  that  Mr.  Smith  gave  only  one-half  of  his  time  to 
Tuscarora,  for  we  have  evidence  that  he  spent  much  of  his  time 
in  preaching  in  different  places  beyond  the  limits  of  that  con- 
gregation, particularly  in  Hare's  valley,  and  in  Path  valley, 
and  in  the  valley  of  Kishacoquillas.  "When  Fermanagh  be- 
came vacant  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Logan,  it  applied  to  Presby- 
tery to  be  united  to  Tuscarora  in  one  pastoral  charge,  under 


BKt    SPR1.\(J    I'KESBYTKKV.  (i") 

the  care  of  I\lr.  Smith.  After  considerable  (k-iay  and  negotia- 
tion, it  was  tinally  arranged  I)}-  Presbytery  in  1.S08,  that  Mr. 
Smith  should  preacli  two-fifths  of  his  time  in  Tuscarora,  two- 
lifths  in  Fermanagh,  and  one-fifth  in  Tvisliacoquillas.  In  IROO, 
the  last  place  was  dropped,  and  Millerstown  was  substituted, 
r.ut  in  1810,  this  place  was  also  dropped,  and  Mr.  Smith,  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  divided  liis  time  e(iually  between 
Tuscarora  and  Fermanagh,  and  always  resided  in  the  former 
place.  Mr.  Smith  was  particularly  opposed  to  the  attempted 
union  of  1822.  He  spoke  against  it,  and  voted  against  it  in 
the  General  Synod.  He  raised  the  point  of  order  that  the 
plan  w^as  not  adopted  because  it  did  not  receive  the  affirmative 
vote  of  a  majority  vi'  the  members  present,  and  ho  prepared 
and  offered  the  protest  of  those  who  voted  in  the  negative. 

J^ath  Valley  was  so  called  because  the  great  Indian  trail  or 
path  from  the  Susquehanna  to  the  Ohio  passed  through  it.  The 
village  of  Concord  is  situated  in  this  valley  in  the  extreme 
northern  point  of  Franklin  county.  This  seetion  of  country 
was  first  visited  by  Mr.  Smith,  and  after  a  little  culture,  it  was 
recognized  as  a  preaching  station  in  1807,  and  supplied  by  the 
Eig  Spring  Tresbytery.  In  1815,  it  was  organized  as  a  church, 
and  in  December,  of  the  same  year,  gave  a  call  to  the  Hev. 
James  Brown.  The  Presbytery  was  not  clear  as  to  duty  in 
the  n)atter  of  receiving  Mr.  Brown  and  sustaining  this  call, 
inasmuch  as  Mr.  Brown  had  been  ordained  by  the  Evangelical 
Association  of  Ireland,  and  there  were  some  doubts  as  to  the 
validity  of  such  an  ordination.  The  question  of  validity  was 
referred  to  the  General  Synod,  and  finally  decided  in  Mr. 
Brown's  favor,  and  in  June,  1817,  he  was  installed  at  Concord. 
This  settlement  was  made  with  the  understanding  that  the 
eluster  of  families  of  Associate  lieformed  preferences,  which 
resided  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fannctsburg,  and  those  in  the 
region  of  Shirleysburg,  would  contribute  to  Mr.  Brown's  sup- 
port, and  receive  a  i)roportionate  amount  of  lu-eaching.  Tiiis 
expectation  was  not  realized,  and  Concord  soon  found  itself 
unable  to  support  its  pastor.  In  about  two  years,  Mr.  Brown 
resigned,  and  Concord  remained  vacant  for  the  next  ten  years. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  county  of  Tyrone,  in  Ireland,  and 
5 


66  HISTORY    or    THE 

received  a  collegiate,  a  theological,  and  medical  education  in: 
the  University  of  Edinburg,  Scotland.  He  was  ordained  by 
the  Evangelical  Association  of  Ireland,  and  came  with  his 
iiimily  to  this  country  in  1810,  and  preached  for  several  years 
as  stated  supply  in  Perry  county.  After  leaving  Concord  he 
spent  two  or  three  years  at  Timljer  Ridge  and  Old  Providence, 
in  Virginia,  and  then  went  to  Avestern  Pennsylvania.  In  1829, 
lie  settled  in  Pittsburgh  as  a  practicing  physician,  and  1839,  re- 
moved to  Bridgewater,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  till  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  20th  of  December,  185-4,  in  the  sixty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  in  the  full  faith  of  his  Saviour's  love. 

HUNTINGDON  COUNTY. 

Our  present  sources  of  information  would  indicate,  that  the 
valleys  of  Huntingdon  county  were  first  visited  by  Associate 
ministers  during  the  last  four  years  of  the  last  century,  and 
that  some  time  in  the  year  1800,  the  Rev.  F.  Pringle  organized 
a  church,  in  the  county  seat,  and  ordained  and  installed  as  rul- 
ing elders,  John  Carman,  John  Smart,  John  Brown,  Thomas 
Johnston,  James  Irwin,  Joseph  Henderson,  Alexander  McCon- 
nell,  and  Joseph  Corbin.     This  organization  was  not  confined 
to  the  town  of  Huntingdon,  but  included  a  number  of  small 
settlements  located  several  miles  in  difterent  directions  in  the 
eurroiinding  countiy.     Their  first  etibrt  towards   securing    a 
pastor,  was  the  giving  of  a  call,  in  August  1808,  to  the    Rev. 
Robert  Bruce,  who  had  arrived  in  the  year  1806,  from  Scotland. 
Failing  in  this  they  were  dependent  upon  Presbyterial  supply  till 
the  28th  of  November,  1811,  when  the  Rev.  Thomas  Smith,  a 
native  of  Scotland,  was  installed  as  their  first  pastor.     While 
there  was  but  one  organization,  and  one   bench  of  elders,  yet 
his  charge  was  composed  of  three  branches,  to  each  of  which, 
for  one  hundred  dollai's  per  year,  he  gave  the  one-third  of  his 
time.     These  were  located  in  Huntingdon,  in  I'etersburg,  and 
in  Woodcock  Vallc}-.     There  were  also  out  stations  Avhich  he 
frequently  visited,  in  Sinking  Valley,  at  Brake's  Ferry,  and  at 
Newton  Hamilton.     In  the  process  of  time  and  in  consequence 
of  the  constant  shifting  of  the  population,  all  these  branches 
and  out  stations,  except  Huntingdon,  were  dropped,  and  the 


KKi    SPRIN(i    I'HKSHYTKKY.  (17 

Secession  cause  soon  died  out.  lUit  the  valley  of  Stone  Creek 
seemed  to  have  some  special  attraction  to  the  families  of  Se- 
ceder  antecedents  or  proclivities,  for  tliey  gathered  more  and 
more  into  it,  and  especially  into  its  upper  part.  Mr.  Smith,  like 
a  "[ood  shephei'd  followed  the  tiock  and  formed  a  station  npthe 
valley  at  Manor  Hill,  which  flourished  for  a  season,  even  after 
Huntingdon  had  commenced  to  decrease.  In  1808,  thecongre- 
ii'ation  built  in  Huntingdon,  a  meeting  house  of  log^4,  and  fur- 
nished it  with  only  rougli  scats.  It  was  not  entirely  finished 
till  1822,  and  as  it  had  no  arrangement  for  heating,  services  in 
cold  weather  were  still  hold  in  the  court  house  up  to  that  time. 
This  was  the  iirst  church  building  erected  by  any  denomination 
in  Huntingdon,  and  rude  as  it  was,  it  served  the  congregation  as 
long  as  it  was  needed.  In  1817  a  house  similar  in  structure  and 
equally  comfortless  was  provided  at  Manor  Hill ;  it  too  served 
its  day  and  the  demands  of  its  location. 

All  the  Churches  in  this  country  soon  realized  that  they  must 
not  depend  upon  the  Old  Country  for  their  supply  of  ministers. 
Hence  each  one  early  made  some  provision  for  their  home  edu- 
cation. Dr.  Tennent  began  in  1726  to  train  theological  stu- 
dents in  his  college  at  Xeshaminy,  Dr.  Nisbet,  of  ('arlisle,  and 
other  Presbyterian  ministers  did  the  same.  The  Reformed 
Dutch  churcli  sent  her  students  to  Dr.  Livingstone,  liefore 
the  union  of  1782  the  Associate  i'resbytery  sent  hers  to  Mr. 
Smith  of  Octorara.  Immediately  after  tlie  union  of  1782  Mr. 
Dobbin  undertook  the  instruction  of  Associate  Reformed  stu- 
dents. In  1793  the  Second  Associate  Reformed  Presbytery  of 
I'ennsylvania  sent  its  candidates  for  the  ministry  to  John 
Jamieson.  In  1794  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Pensylvania 
consigned  its  students  to  the  care  of  Dr.  John  Anderson.  But 
in  all  these  instances  the  course  of  instruction  was  very  imper- 
fect, for  it  consisted  mainly  in  a  course  of  lectures  on  System- 
atic Theology  and  a  little  Hebrew.  About  the  beginning  of 
this  century.  Dr.  Mason  insisted  upon  a  fuller  course  of  instruc- 
tion and  a  larger  i^orps  of  teachers.  This  ]*resbytery  entered 
heartily  into  the  scheme,  and  Messrs.  Dobbin  and  Young  were 
memljers  of  the  committee  of  the  Synod  of  1801,  which  re- 
ported in  its  favor,  and  started  the  enterprise.     And  when  the 


68 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


Seminary  was  opened  in  the  autumn  of  1805,  -with  a  class  of 
eight  students,  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring  supplied  four  of 
those  eight,  in  the  persons  of  John  Lind,  George  Buchanan, 
Geor2;e  Stewart  and  John  X.  Clark, 


Uia    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  69 


CHAPTER  iir. 

WE  UNION  OF  1822. 

HE  General  Synod  run  smoothly  and  the  ('hurch  pros- 
pered under  it  till  the  year  1811,  when  controversies 
more  or  less  bitter  and  personal,  touching  the  ques- 
tions of  psalmody  and  communion  began  to  mix  up  with  its 
proceedings,  and  were  never  absent  from  its  subsequent  meet- 
ings. Several  unpleasant  cases  of  discipline  occurred  at  this 
time,  which  destroyed  the  Presbytery  of  Kentucky,  and  greatly 
agitated  the  entire  Church.  These  things  with  otliers  of  a 
more  local  and  personal  character,  injured  the  unity  of  purpose 
and  the  harmony  of  feelings  in  the  body,  and  brought  in  jeal- 
ousy and  distrust  and  divided  counsels,  and  as  a  natural  conse- 
quence every  interest  of  the  church  began  to  languish.  In 
1817  the  Synod  of  Scioto  asked  that  the  General  Synod  should 
meet,  occasionally  at  least,  in  a  more  western  and  central  place 
than  Philadelphia,  where  it  now  always  met,  that  the  Synods 
of  Scioto  and  the  Carolinas  might  be  better  represented  in  its 
proceedings;  or,  if  this  could  not  be  granted,  that  the  church 
should  be  divided  into  two  or  more  separate  and  independent 
Synods.  Both  of  these  requests  were  refused.  The  result  of 
all  these  things  combined  was  that  the  Synod  of  Scioto,  at  its 
meeting  at  Rush  Creek,  Ohio,  on  the  27th  of  April,  1820,  con- 
stituted itself  into  an  independent  Synod,  under  the  title  of  the 
Associate  Reformed  Sjmod  of  the  "West. 

In  1821,  the  Synod  of  the  Carolinas  petitioned  the  General 
Synod  for  a  separate  and  independent  organization  ;  which  was 
granted,  and  it  constituted  itself  at  its  next  meeting,  as  the 
Associate  Reformed  Synod  of  the  South.  This  left  under  the 
supervision  of  the  General  Synod,  only  the  two  Synods  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  York. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  General  Synod  at  Philadelphia,  in 
May,  1821,  an  overture  was  received  from  the  General  Assembly 


70  HtSTORY    OF    THE 

of  the  l*rosbyterian  church,  then  and  there  in  session,  proposing;- 
an  organic  union  of  the  two  churches.  Committees  were  ap- 
pointed by  both  ])odies  to  conduct  the  negotiations;  and  the 
following  plan  was  agreed  upon  as  a  basis  of  union,  viz :  That 
the  "  different  Presbyteries  of  the  Associate  Reformed  church 
should  either  retain  their  separate  organization,  or  be  amalga- 
mated with  those  of  the  General  Assembly,  at  their  own  choice  :*' 
That  "the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton,  under  the  care 
of  the  General  Assembly,  and  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the 
Associate  Reformed  church  should  be  consolidated:"  And 
that  "the  Theological  Library,  and  funds  belonging  to  the 
Associate  Reformed  church,  shall  be  transferred,  and  belong  to 
the  Seminary  at  Princeton."  This  plan  was  overtured  to  its 
I'resbyteries  by  the  General  Synod,  but  not  by  the  General 
Assembly. 

The  General  Synod  met  in  Philadelphia  on  the  loth  of  May, 
1822.  Of  the  twenty-two  delegates  commissioned,  only  sixteoi 
attended.  The  Presbytery  of  Washington  was  entirely  un- 
represented ;  and  there  was  one  absent  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Saratoga,  and  one  from  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring.  The 
subject  of  union  with  the  Pre8b3'terian  church  was  taken  up, 
and  the  Presbyteries  of  Washington  and  Saratoga  reported 
unanimously  against  the  union ;  Big  Spring  against  with  a 
small  minority  favorable ;  and  the  ]:*resbyteries  of  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  in  favor  of  the  union  with  a  small  minority 
in  each  against  it.  Notwithstanding  this  presbyterial  rejection, 
the  subject  w^as  discussed  at  length  for  the  greater  part  of  four 
days,  when  on  Tuesday,  the  21st  of  May,  it  was  resolved  "  That 
this  Synod  approve,  and  hereby  do  ratify  the  plan  of  union 
between  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and 
the  Associate  Reformed  Church,  proposed  by  commissioners 
from  said  churches."  The  vote  upon  this  resolution  was,  ayes, 
7;  noes,  5  ;  silent,  4;  viz: 


Rev.  James  Laurie,  D.  D. ,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Pbiladelphio. 
Eev.  Ebeuezer  Dickey,  D.  D.,        "  "  " 

Rev.  ,Tohu  M.  Dimcau,  "  "  " 

Elder  Joseph  No  nrae,  "  "  " 


Bir,    SPRING    PRE.-nVTERY.  71 

Elder  James  Martin,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 

Elder  Robert  Patterson,  "  "  " 

Elder  John  Forsyth,  of  Murray  street  church,  Presbytery  of  New  York. 

NAYS. 

Rev.  Robert  Forrest,  '  of  the  Presbytery  of  Saratoga. 
iiev.  James  Otterson,  "  "  «« 

Elder  Samuel  Lefferts,  "  "  " 

Rev.  Thomas  Smith,  "  "  Biff  Spriuf- 

Elder  James  McCuUoch,  "  "  " 

SILENT. 

Rev.  William  W.  Phillipa,  of  the  Presbyter  of  New  York. 

Rev.  Robert  E.  E.  McLeod, 

Elder  Robert  Blake, 

Rev.  John  Lind,  '•  "  Big  Spring. 

Objection  was  made  that  seven  yeas  did  not  consitutc  a  ma- 
jority of  the  Synod  and  that  the  resoUition  was  not  adopted. 
Dr.  Laurie,  the  moderator,  decided  that  silent  votes  were  to  l>e 
reckoned  with  the  majority,  and  that  the  resohition  was  carrieiL 
Those  who  voted  in  the  negative  protested  against  this  action, 
because  it  was  against  the  voice  of  the  church,  as  a  majority  of 
its  congregations  and  ministers  and  presbyteries  were  opposed 
to  the  union ;  and  because  it  "  was  effected  by  the  delegates  from 
the  I'resbytery  of  Philadelphia  alone,  only  one  member  from 
the  remaiiung  four  Presbyteries  voting  in  its  favor." 

It  was  known  that  at  least  five  of  the  six  absent  delegates 
were  opposed  to  the  union  ;  and  giving  to  the  union  all  that 
were  silent  or  doubtful,  the  popular  vote  of  the  church  would 
have  h'dQwfourtep)'  ministers  2a\(\.  Jifteen  churclies  for  the  union  ; 
and  t'ii/hteen-  ministers  and  nineteen  churches  against  it. 

The  General  Assembly  was  at  once  advised  of  the  adoption 
of  the  plan  of  union  and  a  union  thanksgiving  was  held  next 
day  in  the  Assembly's  house,  a  psalm  and  a  liymn  were  sung^ 
two  prayers  were  offered,  and  the  delegates  to  the  General  Synod 
were  invited  to  take  their  seats  forthwith  in  the  Assembly  as 
constituent  meml)ers.  On  the  23d  of  May,  Reverends  R.  B.  E. 
McLeod  and  J.  M.  Duncan,  and  Elders  J.  IS'ourse  and  R.  Pat- 
terson did  take  their  seats  in  the  Assembly,  and  it  is  stated  in 
the  minutes  of  the  General  Assembly  that  "  The  rest   of  the 


72  HISTORY   OF   THE 

members  of  the  Synod,  having  made  arrangements  to  return 
home,  were  unable  to  attend  the  Assembly." 

The  General  Synod,  or  the  union  portion  of  it,  met  again  on 
Thursday  morning,  and  adopted  the  draft  of  a  pastoral  letter 
to  the  churches  in  explanation  and  defence  of  their  course,  and 
directed  the  clerk  of  Synod,  Mr.  Arbuckle,  to  deposit  all  the 
minutes  and  documents  of  the  General  Synod  with  the  session 
of  the  Spruce  street  congregation,  ''subject  to  the  future  dispo- 
sal of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.'"' 
They  then  sung,  not  the  usual  133d  Psalm,  but  more  iitting 
penitential  180th  Psalm,  and  "finally  adjourned."  Thus  per- 
ished the  old  General  Sjmod  after  a  somewhat  troubled  exis- 
tence of  only  eighteen  years  ;  and  with  it  perished  the  subor- 
dinate Synod  of  Pennsylvania.  The  Presbytery  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  accordance  with  the  plan  of  union,  went  into  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  as  a  distinct  presbyterial  organization,  and 
appeared  for  two  years  upon  the  roll  of  the  General  Assembly 
as  the  Second  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 

As  this  Second  Presbytery  and  its  queer  oftspring  will  meet 
us  hereafter,  it  may  be  well  to  give  their  brief  history  here. 
The  Second  Presbytery  was  represented  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  1823,  by  Ebenezer  Dickey,  D.  D.,  and  in  the  Assembly 
of  1824  by  Henry  P.  "Wilson,  and  James  Arbuckle.  In  the 
autumn  of  1824  this  Presbytery  consisted  of  E.  Dickey,  J.  M. 
Duncan,  H.  R.  "Wilson,  C.  G.  McLean,  and  George  Junkin, 
pastors ;  Joseph  Wallace  and  David  Kirkpatrick,  without 
charge,  and  John  Chambers,  licentiate.  Dr.  Laurie  had  gone, 
in  1822,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Baltimore,  Dr.  Gray  died  Septem- 
ber 20, 1823,  and  T.  G.  Mclnnis  of  the  13th  street  church  died 
August  26,  1824,  and  Mr.  Arbuckle  had  accepted  a  call  else- 
where. In  the  winter  of  1824-5,  this  Presbytery  voted  certi- 
ficates of  transfer  to  all  its  members  that  they  might  join  the 
Presbytery  of  their  several  localities.  This  they  nearly  all  did. 
Mr.  Duncan  in  the  summer  of  1824  had  delivered  a  lecture 
before  the  directors  and  students  of  the  Theological  Seminary 
at  Princeton,  at  their  solicitation.  He  called  his  lecture  "A 
Plea  for  Ministerial  Liberty,"  and  in  it  condemned  in  very  strong 
language  all  creeds  and  confessions,  and  scouted  the  idea  of 


BIG  SPRING   PRESBYTERY.  73 

church  standards, declaring  that  tlicy  only  ci-i])plc'(l  and  circum- 
scribed tliat  liberty  wherewith  Clirist  makes  his  people  free. 
AVhen  ho  presented  liis  certificate  to  the  Presbytery  of  Balti- 
more in  the  spring  of  1825,  he  was  unanimously  rejected, 
because  of  the  doctrines  maintained  in  his  discourse.  He  ap- 
pealed to  Synod  but  got  no  relief.  Mr.  McLean  of  Gettysburg, 
who  sympathized  with  Mr.  Duncan  in  his  views,  was  either 
afraid  or  deemed  it  inexpedient  to  offer  his  certificate  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Carlisle  ;  so  he  and  Duncan  and  John  Chambers 
and  a  Mr.  Jewett  organized,  in  the  autumn  of  1825,  a  Presby 
tery  of  their  own,  which  they  called  "  Tlie  Independent  Pres- 
bytery." It  was  thoroughly  independent,  and  at  no  point 
touched  any  other  ecclesiastical  organization,  and  as  might  have 
been  expected  it  never  warmed  activel}^  into  life,  and  after  a 
few  years  of  feeble  existence  it  passed  away  without  even  the 
formality  of  a  final  adjournment. 


74  HISTORY    OF    THE 


CHAPTER  IV. 

1822  TO  1858. 

HE  union  of  1822  not  only  distracted  but  literally  di- 
vided the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring  into  three  frag- 
ments. The  Presbytery  met  at  Shippen?^l)iirg  in 
August,  1822,  and  dissolved  the  pastorial  relation  between  Mr. 
Strong  and  the  churches  of  Shippensburg  and  Chambersburg, 
and  dismissed  him  to  the  Long  Island  Classis  of  the  Reformed 
Dutch  Church.  Dr.  Strong  was  installed  in  the  Dutch 
church  of  Flat  Bush,  iji  1822,  and  remained  its  beloved  and 
useful  pastor  until  his  death  in  1861.  He  was  a  tall,  fine-look- 
ing man,  an  excellent  preacher,  possessed  a  singularly  well- 
balanced  mind,  and  left  a  reputation  particularly  dear  to  his 
Church.  For  thirty-four  years  he  was  stated  clerk  of  the 
General  Synod  of  the  Dutch  Church,  and  so  thoroughly  versed 
was  he  in  ecclesiastical  matters  that  in  the  Synod  his  word  was 
law.  "And  yet,"  says  a  friend  who  knew  him  well,  "  there 
never  was  a  more  modest  and  unassuming  man."  He  left  five 
sons,  all  of  whom  are  now  in  the  ministry. 

Mr.  Lind  and  his  churches  would  not  go  into  the  General 
Assembly,  neither  would  they  go  into  the  Synod  of  the  West, 
so  they  remained  independent  and  alone.  Mr.  Smith  and  the 
churches  of  Fermanagh,  Tuscarora,  Concord,  Chambersburg 
and  Big  Spring  put  themselves  under  the  care  of  the  Monon- 
gahela  Presbyter}'  of  the  Synod  of  the  West.  Shippensburg 
joined  the  Second  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia.  Thus  the  Big 
Spring  Presbytery  ceased  to  exist,  until  it  was  re-organized  in 
May,  1825,  by  the  Synod  of  the  West,  with  which  it  remained 
until  that  Synod  was  divided  in  1839,  and  since  the  union  of 
1858,  it  has  been  sul)ordinate  to  the  United  Presbyterian  Synod 
of  Pittsburgh. 

Mr.  Lind  was  in  favor  of  a  union  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  but  was  opposed  to  the  precipitate  and  uncanonical 


BHi    SrRIX(5    niESiJVTF.RY.  <  •) 

niauucr  in  which  it  was  consiiiiimated.  lie  was  grieved  with 
the  course  of  those  with  whom  he  sympathized,  and  decliiiod 
to  go  into  the  union ;  yet  he  would  not  transfer  his  rehition 
to  the  Synod  of  the  West,  so  when  the  Big  Spring  Tresbyterv 
went  to  pieces,  he  sought  no  connection,  and  thus  dropped  out 
of  all  ecclesiastical  association.  His  congregations  were  much 
xittached  to  him,  and  stood  by  him  now,  and  were  willing  to 
be  governed  by  his  future  movements.  And  so  tiiey  remained 
for  two  years,  and  thou  Providence  decided  the  question. 
During  the  suminer  of  1824,  Mr.  Lind  concluded  that  their 
Estate  of  isolation  was  not  good  for  either  pastor  or  people,  and 
made  arrangements  to  connect  himself  and  his  churches  with 
the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle  at  its  meeting  in  October.  But  on 
Saturday,  the  4th  of  September,  he  preached  to  his  church  in 
llagerstown,  preparatory  to  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per on  the  next  day.  Before  finishing  the  services,  he  was 
seiz.ed  with  a  severe  chill,  from  which  he  suffered  all  night,  and 
Sabbath  morning  found  him  no  better,  but  hearing  that  a 
large  cono-regation  had  assembled,  he  rose  from  hia  bed  and 
went  to  the  church,  and  with  great  feebleness,  but  peculiar 
unction,  he  simply  dispensed  the  Supper.  Before  finishing 
this  l)rief  service,  he  was  taken  with  another  chill,  and  was 
unable  to  proceed,  so  he  lifted  his  hand  and  said,  "  Beloved 
brothers  and  sisters  in  Christ,  as  ye  have  received  the  Lord 
Jesus,  so  walk  in  llim,"  and  })rououn('ed  the  apostolic  bene- 
diction, lie  returned  to  his  bed  and  gradually  sunk  till  the 
20th  of  September,  when  lie  calmly  died,  in  the  forty-first  year 
of  his  age,  and  the  eighteenth  of  his  ministry. 

Mr.  Lind  was  in  many  respects  a  man  of  mark.  He  took 
the  honors  of  his  class  in  collcire  ;  he  was  informally  offered 
the  professorship  in  the  Theological  Seminary  as  Dr.  Mason's 
^successor ;  he  was  tendered  the  Presidency  of  Dickinson  Col- 
lege;  he  had  a  call  to  the  Murray  Street  church  in  Xcw  York, 
and  also  to  the  First  church  in  Pittsburg,l)Ut  he  declined  them 
all  that  he  might  remain  with  the  people  of  his  childhood  and 
of  his  nuinhood.  lie  was  tall  and  handsome  in  person,  of  fine 
mental  culture,  and  of  very  considerable  pul[>it  power.  But 
his  great  characteristic,  and  the  one  which  gave  him  the  strong- 


76  HISTORY    OF    THE 

est  hold  upon  the  aftectioiis  of  his  people  and  the  community 
at  large,  was  a  peculiarly  mild  and  amiable  disposition  ;  a  trait 
of  character  which  he  attributed  not  to  nature,  but  to  grace. 

In  April,  1825,  the  churches  of  Ilagerstown  and  Green  Cas- 
tle joined  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  in  September  of  the  same  year,  Matthew  Lind 
Fullerton,  grandson  of  Rev.  Mattliew  Lind,  was  ordained  and 
installed  as  their  pastor.  At  this  time  Mr.  Buchanan  was 
j)astor  of  the  Presbyterian  churches  of  Green  Castle  and 
AV^aynesborough,  preaching  alternate  Sabbaths  in  each.  There 
were  now  two  Presbyterian  churches  in  Green  (Jastle,  and  the 
pastors  arranged  to  preach  on  alternate  Sabbaths,  and  the  au- 
dience was  composed  of  the  peo[)le  of  both  congregations. 

As  the  doctrines  and  forms  and  Psalmody  of  both  churches 
were  the  same,  and  as  they  now  attended  upon  the  same  min- 
istry, they  soon  became  practically  one  church.  In  1827  or  '8, 
they  formally  united,  and  Mr.  Buchanan  gave  to  them  all  his 
time,  and  Mr.  Fullerton  confined  his  labors  to  Ilagerstown. 
In  1830,  the  two  old  church  buildings,  the  "  White  "  and  the 
"  Red,"  were  abandoned  for  a  new  one,  larger  and  more  cen- 
trally situated,  and  the  "  Old  A\^hite  "  was  taken  down  and 
moved  two  miles  into  the  country,  and  re-built  for  a  dwelling- 
house,  and  thus  passed  away  the  last  trace  and  memorial  of 
Dissenting  Prcsbyterianism,  which,  as  Reformed,  as  Associate, 
and  as  Associate  Reformed,  had  existed  on  the  East  Coneco- 
cheague  for  seventy  years. 

Mr.  Fullerton  remained  in  Ilagerstown  till  his  death  in  1833, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Richard  Wynkoop,  who,  through  con- 
troversies in  Presbytery  with  Dr.  Dufiield,  became  involved  in 
troubles  in  his  own  congregation,  which  resulted  iu  a  division, 
when  he  and  a  majority  of  the  church,  in  1838,  united  with 
the  Associate  Reformed  Presbytery  of  ISTew  York.  Four  years 
afterwards,  Mr.  Wynkoop  died,  and  for  two  years  the  church 
was  supplied  by  the  Presbyteries  of  Xew  York  and  Big  Spring. 
In  the  autumn  of  1844,  a  call  was  given  to  the  Rev.  John  F. 
McLaren,  late  of  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  and  he  Avas  installed  as  pastor 
April  23,  1845  ;  but  he  remained  only  a  few  months,  for  in  the 
autumn  of  that  year  the  two  divisions  of  the  original  congre- 


I3ir.    SPlllNtl    rUESUYTKRY.  77 

gatioiis  came  together,  and  the  uiiitetl  I'hurch  i)iit  itseU'  under 
the  earc  of  the  IVesbytery  of  Carlisle,  and  thus  euded  Asso- 
ciate Ketbrniedisni  in  llagerstown. 

While  one  congregation  after  another  was  passing  away,  it 
is  a  consolation  to  know  that  there  was  some  compensation 
in  the  way  of  gathering.  In  17i>4,  Thomas  Johnston,  of  the 
Associate  church  of  Pequea,  Lancaster  count}',  settled  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Mercersburg,  and  connected  himself  witli  the 
little  vacancy  at  Carlisle,  the  nearest  Associate  preaching  sta- 
tion. Here  he  attended  services  as  often  as  he  could,  and  es- 
pecially (;n  communion  occasions.  Athough  two  or  three  fam- 
ilies associated  themselves  with  him,  and  his  sons  began  to 
settle  around  him,  yet  the  situation  continued  substantially 
thus  till  1814,  when  the  Associate  I'resbytery  of  riiiladelphia 
recognized  them  as  a  mission  station,  and  began  to  send  them 
occasional  supplies.  Messrs.  Pringle,  Kendall,  Scroggs,  Blair, 
and  others  visited  them,  and  they  grew  a  little.  AVhen  Mr. 
Lind  resigned  the  West  Conecocheague  branch  of  his  charge 
in  1817,  the  liankins  and  several  other  families  were  not 
willing  to  join  the  Presbyterian  Church,  nor  to  stand  aloof 
from  all  church  relations,  and  had  no  prospect  of  re-building 
the  Associate  Reformed  cause,  so  they  united  with  this  Asso- 
ciate nucleus,  and  this  gave  them  strength  and  hope.  They 
sought  and  obtained  an  organization  in  August,  1822,  and 
about  the  iirst  of  September  gave  a  call  to  Thomas  15.  Clarkson. 
This  call  he  held  under  consideration,  and  supplied  the  pulpit 
till  May  31,  1823,  when  he  accepted  it,  and  was  installed  on 
the  8th  of  the  succeeding  October.  The  Associate  Reformed 
church  in  the  Cove  Valley,  notwithstanding  its  utter  destitu- 
tion, still  maintained  its  organization,  and  wisely  concluded  to 
unite  with  Mercersburg  in  this  settlement,  and  thus  connecte<l 
themselves  with  the  Associate  C'hurch,  Mr.  Clarkson  assuring 
them  that  he  could  cover  the  diflterences  between  the  two 
Churches  with  his  thumb. 

Mr.  Clarkson's  ministry  was  very  successful,  so  that  in  182(i, 
he  reported  one  hundred  and  eighty-four  members  in  his  two 
congregations.  But  his  health  became  very  feeble,  so  that  after 
much  waiting  and  hoping  the  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved 


78  HISTORY    OF    THE 

ill  J)ecember,  ■J827.  lie  remained  in  tlie  coinniniiitj  till  hi.« 
death  in  1836,  and  is  still  tenderly  remembered.  He  is  des- 
cribed as  "a  man  of  tine  personal  appearance,  and  of  reniarkablr 
graceful  and  attractive  manners.  Ho  much  of  natural  vivacity 
had  he,  and  withal  so  much  christian  principle  and  feelings 
that  it  seemed  as  if  no  disease  or  trouble,  nor  even  the  near 
approach  of  death,  could  have  any  effect  upon  his  s]urits." 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1828,  Findley  W.  McNaughton,  -^ 
native  of  Argyle,  Xew  York,  was  ordained  and  installed  as- 
pastor  of  Mercersburg  and  the  Cove.  Messrs.  Clarkson,  Fran- 
cis I'ringle  and  Arch.  Whyte  ofliciated  upon  the  occasion.  The^ 
Mercersburg  branch  now^  contained  ninety-one  members,  and 
had  never  owned  a  church  edifice.  They  had  worsliiped  a  short 
time  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  occasionally  in  the  old  Slate- 
Hill  church,  but  mostl}'^  in  the  stone  house  now  owned  by  the 
United  Bretheren.  In  1828,  they  built  a  brick  church  which 
served  them  for  forty-four  years.  In  1844  the  two  churches  of 
the  united  charge  reported  thirty-two  families  and  a  hundred 
and  thirty-two  members,  a  remarkable  number  of  members  \n 
proportion  to  the  number  of  families. 

In  1845,  Mr.  McNaughton  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Webster 
of  Philadelphia,  withdrew  from  the  Presbytery  and  Synod, 
because  of  the  Synod's  lack  of  orthodoxy  in  its  negotiations 
with  the  Associate  Reformed  Church  in  the  matter  of  union. 
Both  congregations  went  with  him  and  remained  thus  for 
twelve  years.  They  learned  however  to  their  sorrow  that  no 
congregation  in  our  day,  can  live  and  prosper  in  a  christian 
community,  while  separated  from  all  ecclesiastical  connection 
and  sympathy.  In  1857  Mr.  McNaughton  left,  and  they  re- 
turned to  their  old  Presbytery,  but  in  a  greatly  enfeebled  con- 
dition. Still  on  the  11th  day  of  May,  1858,  James  Bruce  wa& 
installed  as  their  jtastor,  in  the  hope  that  they  might  recupe- 
rate. Mr.  McNaughton  passed  first  to  the  New  School  Cove- 
nanters and  subsequently  to  the  Presbyterian  church,  as  the 
result  of  his  ultra  orthodoxy. 

When  the  union  of  1822  wrecked  the  I'resbytery  of  Big- 
Spring,  the  church  in  Chambersburg,  after  the  resignation  of 
Mr.  Strong,  connected  itself  with  the  Presbytery  of  Mononga- 


ma    SPRING    I'KK.-HYTERV.  7l> 

hela,  iiiul  was  joiiu'tl  witli  the  congregation  of  Big  Spring  in  a 
pastoral  charge.  Alexander  Sliarp  was  installed  in  this  charge 
during  the  autimiu  of  1824,  and  gave  to  Chamhershurg,  the 
one-third  of  his  time  till  the  11th  of  Sejiteinber,  1828,wlien  lie 
resigned  his  pastoral  care  of  this  branch  and  confined  himself 
to  Big  Spring.  On  the  8th  of  April,  1828,  Alexander  McCahau 
was  received  as  a  probationer  from  the  Seceder  I'reshytery  of 
Coleraine  in  Ireland;  on  the  2d  of  the  following  December 
he  was  ordained,  and  on  tlie  26th  of  the  same  month  was  in- 
stalled as  pastor  of  CUiambersburg  and  (yoneord,  giving  two- 
rhirds  of  his  time  to  the  former,  and  one-third  to  the  latter. 
This  pastoral  relation  continued  only  to  the  6th  of  October  1830, 
when  it  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  McCahan  soon  passed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Monougahehi. 

The  removal  of  Mr.  McCaliau  in  the  sjiring  of  1831,  practi- 
cally suspended  the  functions  of  the  l*resbytery,  for  Mr.  Smith.^ 
was  superannuated, and  in  February,  1832,  died,  thus  leaving  Mr. 
Sharp  as  the  only  minister.  To  remove  the  difficulty  thus  in- 
terposed, on  the  2d  of  Ai>ril,  1834,  the  Rev.  N.  0.  Weede  and 
his  congregations  at  Blairsville,  Bethel,  and  Brush  Valley,  in 
Indiana  county,  were  transferred  by  the  I*resbytery  of  Monon- 
gahela  to  the  I'resbytery  of  Big  Spring,  and  on  the  5th  of  the 
following  August,  the  Presbyter}^  resumed  its  meetings.  Mr. 
"VVeede  and  his  pastoral  charge  continued  in  this  connection 
till  the  summer  of  1838,  when  they  were  returned  to  their  old 
l^resbytery. 

On  the  3d  of  August,  1837,  Robert  Gracey  was  ordained 
and  installed  over  the  united  congregations  of  Chambersburg 
and  Concord.  On  the  18th  of  October,  1843,  lie  was  released 
from  the  Concord  branch,  and  was  installed  for  that  half  of  hi> 
time  as  pastor  of  the  church  at  Gettysburg  on  the  30th  O'f  Oc- 
tober, 1844.  On  the  10th  October,  1849,  Mr.  Gracey  demitted 
the  Gettysburg  church,  and  gave  three-fourths  of  his  time  to 
Chambersburg,  and  the  remaining  fourth  to  C'Ouconl  as  stated 
supply.  On  the  20th  of  October,  1852,  he  demitted  his  eliargv 
and  accepted  a  call  to  the  Fourth  church  in  Pittsburgh.  The 
Rev.  D.  T.  Carnahan  became  the  stated  su})ply  in  both  Oliam- 
bersburg  and  Gettysburg,  and  s^>  remained  for  two  years,  and 


80  HISTORY    OF    THE 

was  succeeded,  in  the  tiutumii  of  1854,  by  Rev.  John  K.  War- 
ner, who  served  these  churches  in  the  same  ca[)acit.y  for  three 
years. 

A  number  of  fanulies  in  and  about  McConnellsbnrg,  in  Fulton 
county,  and  connected  with  the  Cove  church,  became  o;reatly 
dissatisfied  with  the  position  and  course  of  their  pastor,  Mr. 
McISTaughton,  and  applied  to  Presbytery,  in  the  spring  of  1852, 
for  supply  of  preaching.  This  was  granted,  and  in  November 
of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Gracey  organized  them  into  a  congrega- 
tion of  thirteen  members,  and  installed  W.  Sloan  Nelson,  Mr. 
Douglass  and  Hugh  Rankin  as  their  elders.  Supply  was 
granted  them  till  after  the  union  and  the  installation  of  Mr. 
Bruce,  when  they  found  their  relation  agreeable  and  coalesced 
with  their  former  brethren  of  the  Cove. 

It  seems  both  proper  and  desirable  to  give  a  brief  sketch  of 
the  history  of  the  Covenanters  who  would  not  go  into  the  union 
of  1782,  and  this  is  perhaps  the  most  suitable  place,  as  they 
resided  mainly  in  Franklin  county.     All  the  organized  Cove- 
nanter congregations  and  their  pastors  went  cordially  into  the 
formation  of  the  Associate  Reformed  Church,  but  nearly  all  the 
little  isolated  societies  did  not,  and  continued   their   regular 
weekly  society  meetings ;  when  they  spent  two  or  three  hours 
in  singing,  and  praying,  and  reading  the  Scriptures,  and  in  re- 
ligious conversations,  to  which  was  often  added  the  reading  of 
a  sermon  of  some  of  the  old  Scotch  worthies.     Two  or  three 
of  these  were  in  the  upper   part  of  Cumberland    county,  and 
four  in  Franklin  county.     They  isolated  themselves  from  the 
religious  services  of  all  other  denominations,  worshiped   God 
in  their  own  way,  and  hoped  for  better  days.     Quite  a  number 
of  families  of  their  own  faith  came  to  this  country  from  Scot- 
land and  Ireland  between  1785  and  1800,  although  but  few  of 
them  settled  in  this  Valley.     They  located  principally  in  the 
cities  of  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Pittsburgh,  and  in  the 
upper  section  of  South  Carolina.     Rev.  James  Reid,  about  1788 
or  'd-,  came  from  Scotland  as  a  temporary  missionary  to  surve}-^ 
the  ground,  and  soon  returned. 

Between  1789  and    1797,  Rev.  Messrs.   McGarragh,  King, 
McKinney,  Martin  and  Gibson  arrived.     The  affairs  of  the 


BUJ    SPRIN(i    PRESDYTKRV.  81 

Church  in  this  country  were  nuiuaged  by  Messrs.  Martin,  Kii)2; 
and  McGarragh  as  a  committee  of  the  lietbrmed  I'resbytery  of 
Scotland.     In   1798  Messrs.  McKinney  and  Gibson,  the  only 
surviving  ministers,  with   several  ruling  elders,  proceeded  to 
the  establishment  of   a  judiciar}-  independent  of  all  foreign 
control,  and   constituted   the  "  lietbrmed   Presbytery   of  the 
United    States  of    iS'orth    America."     AVithin    a    few   years 
Messrs.  Wylie,  Black,  ^[cLeod  and  13onncly  joined  them,  and 
their  prosperity  was  such  that  in  1808  thoy  organized  a  Synod. 
During  all  these  years  the    little  societies  in  the  Valley  grew 
but  little,  for  the  tide  of  immigration,  their  onl}'  source  of  in- 
crease, iiowed  in  other  channels.     They  had  no  congregational 
•organization,  but  existed  as  a  confederacy.  Each  society  would 
appoint  a  delegate,  and  these  would  meet  at  stated  times,  in 
some  central  place,  generally  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Thompson 
•on  the  East  Conecocheague,  and  attend  to  all  the  interests  of  a 
general  nature.     In  all  tlie  meetings  of  the  societies,  and  of 
the  central  committee,  when  a  vote  was  taken,  the  youno-est 
member  generally  voted  lirst,  and  so  onaccording  to  juvenility, 
until  the  oldest  voted  last.     In  process  of  time,  the  societies  of 
the  ^Valnut  Bottom,  of    Shippensburg,  of    Roxbury,  and   of 
Mercersburg  became  extinct  as  societies,  through  death   and 
emigration,  although  individual  incmbers  remained  in  all  of 
them. 

When  an  organization  took  pli>ce,  most  probably  between 
1805  and  1807,  it  included  the  societies  of  Big  Sprino-,  Scot- 
land, Green  Castle,  Greenwood  and  Waynesboro'.  These  had 
no  separate  or  individual  organizations;  they  were  simplv  in- 
organic parts  of  one  church,  whose  central  place  was  Scotlaml. 
The  latter  place  was  not,  and  is  not  yet,  a  village  ;  it  was  so 
called  because  about  1772,  four  or  five  Scotch  families  settled 
there  upon  the  creek,  and  built  mills — a  grist  mill,  a  saw  mill, 
a  sickle  mill,  and  a  whisky  mill — and  as  they  were  all  Cove- 
nanters, it  became  a  kind  of  a  centre  for  those  of  their  faith. 

In  1816,  Robert  Lusk,  a  native  of  Cumberland  county,  was 
ordained   and  installed   as   the  first   pastor   of  the  "  Coneco- 
cheague congregation."     His  time  was  thus  divided  :  "  One- 
fourth  of  his  time  in  Xewville  and  Walnut  Bottom  ;  one-fourth 
G 


82  HISTORY    OF   THE 

in  ^^hippensburg ;  one-fourth  in  Green  township,  and  the  re- 
maining fourth  in  the  Lurgan  and  AVaynesburg  society ;  and 
days  for  other  places  to  be  taken  out  of  the  whole,  as  occasion 
may  serve/'  Part  of  Shippensburg's  time  was  subsequently 
given  to  Roxbury.  John  Thompson,  John  Renfrew,  John 
Steel,  and  John  Scouller  were  the  ruling  elders. 

Mr.  Lusk  remained  five  or  six  years,  and  was  succeeded  in, 
1824  by  Samuel  AV.  Crawford,  who  preached  one-third  of  hi&- 
time  at  Waynesburg  ;  one-third  at  Fayetteville,  and  one-third 
at  Scotland.  He  remained  till  the  spring  of  1831.  About  1829, 
a  small  log  church  was  built  at  Greenwood,  and  in  1825,  a 
stone  church  was  erected  at  Scotland,  and  as  the  society  had 
drifted  from  Greenwood  to  Fayetteville,  a  building  was  put  up 
in  1840  in  the  latter  place.  In  1842,  Thomas  Hannay,  an  Irish 
licentiate,  was  ordained  and  installed.  He  remained  till  the 
autumn  of  1844,  when  he  resigned,  and  is  now  a  minister  of 
our  Church  in  Canada.  During  the  autumn  of  1845,  Joshua 
Kennedy,  a  native  of  Franklin  county,  was  ordained  and  in- 
stalled as  pastor,  and  remained  till  May,  1860,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Delaware  county,  New  York.  Since  this,  the  con- 
gregation has  remained  vacant,  with  an  occasional  day's 
preaching  in  Scotland  or  Fayetteville,  and  numbers  about 
thirty  members,  and  some  of  these  are  widely  scattered.  Its 
future  prospects  are  by  no  means  encouraging. 

CUMBERLAND  COUNTY. 

After  Mr.  Strong  had  left  Shippensburg,  the  congregation; 
put  itself  under  the  care  of  the  Second  Presbytery  of  Phila- 
delphia, because  of  its  AssociateReformedantecedents,  and  was 
s^upplied  by  Presbyterian  ministers.  On  the  18th  of  February^ 
1824,  Rev.  Henry  R.  Wilson,  formerly  of  Silver's  Spring  was- 
installed  as  pastor,  and  so  remained  till  October,  1839.  He 
and  the  congregation  were  transferred  in  April,  1825,  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  where  it  has  ever  since  remained. 

In  1838,  the  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring  re-organized  a  church 
in  Shippensburg,  when  Henry  Carlile  and  William  Means 
were  ordained  and  installed  as  ruling  elders.  In  April,  1839, 
suit  was  entered  for  the  church  building,  which  was  not  sue- 


BIG   SPRING   PRESBYTERY.  83 

cessful,  because  of  the  strange  rulings  of  tlic  judge.  Appeal 
was  taken  to  the  Supreme  Court,  and  a  new  trial  was  ordered, 
which  proved  successful,  and  on  the  14th  of  Xoveniber,  1842, 
the  congregation  was  put  in  possession  of  the  house,  and  on 
the  5th  of  July,  1843,  the  Rev.  Alex.  Sharjt,  of  Big  Spring, 
was  installed  as  pastor  for  the  one-third  of  his  time.  The 
movement  was  not  a  success,  the  English  population  was  mo- 
nopolized by  the  well  established  Presbyterian  church  of  the 
])lace,  and  all  else  was  German.  On  the  25th  of  October,  1848, 
Mr.  Sharp  resigned  and  the  little  society  gradually  dwindled 
away,  and  the  church  building  was  leased  to  the  borough,  for 
school  purposes,  for  ninety-nine  years,  for  the  sum  of  one  thous- 
and dollars. 

After  long  waiting  and  many  etforts,  the  Big  Spring  congre- 
gation finally  secured  a  pastor  in  the  person  of  Alexander 
Sharp,  who  was  ordained  in  Pittsburgh  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Monongaheia  on  the  8th  of  September,  1824,  and  installed  on 
the  29th  of  the  same  month,  by  Rev.  T.  Smith,  as  pastor  of  Big 
Spring  and  Chambersburg ;  giving  two-thirds  of  his  time  at  a 
salary  of  $400  per  year  to  the  former,  and  one-third  of  his 
time  for  $200  to  the  latter.  Mr.  Sharp  was  born  and  reared  in 
the  Big  Spring  congregation,  and  after  being  graduated  at 
Oanousburg,  commenced  the  study  of  theology  under  Dr. 
Mason,  and  finished  under  Dr.  Riddell.  After  his  resigna- 
tion of  the  Shippensburg  church  he  gave  all  his  time  to  Big 
Spring,  and  received  the  full  salary.  In  1825,  at  a  congrega- 
tional meeting  it  was  unanimously  resolved,  "  That  in  singing 
the  Psalms,  the  members  of  the  congregation  furnish  them- 
selves with  Psalm  books,  and  that  after  the  reading  of  the 
Psalm,  and  the  giving  out  of  the  first  two  lines  by  the  pastor, 
the  congregation  continue  to  sing,  uninterrupted  by  the  giving 
out  of  the  lines."  In  1826,  the  congregation  replaced  the  old 
stone  church  with  a  new  brick  house,  which  in  that  day  was 
regarded  a-s  beino-  very  superior  in  beauty,  finish,  and  conve- 
nience, and  with  only  a  small  debt,  which  was  fully  discharged 
in  two  years. 

After  several  years  of  declining  health,  Dr.  Sharp  died  on 
the  28th  of  January,  1857,  in  the  sixty-first  year  of  his  age, 


84  IILSTOKY    OF    THE 

und  the  tliirty-tliird  of  liis  pastorate,  lie  died  where  lie  had 
lived  all  his  days,  and  among  a  people  which  had  known  his 
life  from  his  earliest  childhood  ;  and  although  as  a  general  rule, 
a  prophet  is  without  honor  "  in  his  own  country,  and  among  his 
own  kin,  and  his  own  house,'"  yet  the  great  crowd  of  mourners 
around  his  bier  bore  ample  testimony  to  the  universal  belief, 
that  "a  prince  and  a  great  man  had  fallen  in  Israel,"  He  was 
a  man  of  inHuence  and  of  power,  not  only  in  his  own  pastoral 
field,  but  also  in  his  Synod,  which  in  the  seventh  year  of  his 
ministry'  elected  him  as  its  sole  professor  of  theology,  as  the 
successor  of  Dr.  Joseph  Kerr ;  this  appointment  he  was,  how- 
ever, constrained  to  decline.  In  person  he  was  large  and  robust, 
of  good  presence  and  manly  appearance.  While  his  voice  was 
monotonous,  and  often  pitched  too  high,  his  style  was  Huent, 
and  his  command  of  Scripture  language  w^as  simply  amazing. 
Strangers  who  heard  him  but  rarely  were  generally  not  pleased 
with  him,  for  his  hearers  had  to  be  familiar  with  his  peculiari- 
ties before  they  could  properly  api»reciate  his  wealth  of  matter. 
He  possessed  a  strong,  clear  logical  mind,  wdiicli  enabled  him 
to  develop  his  subject  clearly,  symmetrically,  and  exhaustively, 
so  that  he  always  gratified  his  intelligent  hearers.  And  yet  his 
greatest  characteristic  was  a  large  amount  of  good  common 
sense,  combined  with  good  taste,  so  that  what  he  said  and  did 
was  always  judicious,  appropriate,  and  to  the  point.  During 
his  last  years  he  became  very  much  interested  in  prophecy,  and 
gave,  perhaps,  too  much  time  and  space  to  it,  but  throughout 
his  whole  ministry  his  preaching  was  mainly  expository  and 
didactic.  It. was  impossible  to  sit  under  his  ministry,  and  to 
remain  ignorant  of  the  Bible  and  its  plan  of  salvation,  for  he 
taught  a  whole  Bible,  not  mere  spots  and  parts ;  and  he  ex- 
pounded a  full  system  of  doctrinal  truths,  and  had  no  favorite 
subjects  to  force  his  preaching  into  old  well-worn  ruts.  In 
labors  he  was  very  abundant,  for  during  the  lirst  ten  years  of 
his  ministry  he  was  almost  alone  in  the  territory  east  of  the 
mountains,  wnth  seven  or  eight  vacant  congregations  to  be 
cared  for ;  all  of  which  he  occasionally  visited,  and  as  they 
were  widely  scattered  it  involved  an  amount  of  horseback 
riding  through  heat  and  cold,  sun  and  rain,  which  told  severely 


BIG    SPRING    I'RKSBYTKRV.  85 

even  upon  his  grand  physi(|Uc',  and  liis  subsequent  Ijroken 
health  could  be  clearly  traced  to  some  of  tliese  exjiosures. 

In  the  extreme  north-western  corner  of  York  county  stands 
the  small  village  of  Dillsburg,  a  name  which  appeared  for  thirty 
years  in  the  minutes  of  the  Associate  I^resbytery  of  l^hiladol- 
phia,  and  yet  there  was  never  an  Associate  organization  in  that 
neighborhood.  That  section  of  country  was  settled  by  Irish  as 
early  as  1740,  or  sooner.  They  were  a  mixture  of  Covenanters, 
Seceders,  and  Synod  of  Ulster  families  ;  the  last  largely  predom- 
inating. A  Presbyterian  church  was  early  organized  here,  by 
the  Presbytery  of  Donegal,  which  in  174G  was  united  with  tlie 
East  Pennsborough  (Silver's  Spring)  church  to  form  a  pastoral 
charge.  In  the  process  of  time  the  Reformed  and  Associate 
families  came  in,  so  that  the  church  included  the  entire  English 
speaking  population.  Things  continued  thus  till  about  1823 
or  '5,  when,  during  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  JST.  Todd,  "Watt's 
book  of  Psalms  and  Hymns  was  introduced,  in  the  place  of 
the  old  version  of  Psalmody  by  Rouse."  This  gave  great  ofteiice 
to  a  number  of  families,  particularly  those  of  Covenaiiter  an- 
cestry, and  the  O'llails,  the  "Wilsons,  the  Blairs,  the  McCurdys, 
Mrs.  Col.  Logan,  and  a  few  other  families  withdrew  and  joined 
the  Associate  church  at  Carlisle,  and  invited  Mr.  Pringle  to 
preach  for  them  occasionally'.  Tie  gave  them  the  one-fourth  of 
his  time  as  long  as  he  lived.  In  1835,  James  Dunlap,  a  native 
of  Big  Spring,  and  for  some  time  ruling  elder  in  the  Silver's 
Spring  church,  for  a  similar  reason,  transferred  his  mcndjership 
to  Carlisle,  and  attended  services  at  Dillsburg.  There  was  no 
church  organization,  nor  church  building,  no  bench  of  elders, 
nor  administration  of  the  Lord's  Sup])er.  It  was  simply  a 
preaching  station,  and,  like  Dickinson,  its  communicants  were 
memljers  of  the  Carlisle  church,  and  the  subsequent  history  of 
the  three  places  is  the  same.  In  1826,  Carlisle  reported  iifty- 
two  families  and  eighty  communicants,  and  it  is  doubtful 
whether  at  any  subsequent  time  they  exceeded  this  number. 

Francis  Pringle  was  born  in  Pifeshire,  Scotland,  in  1747, 
studied  theolog}'  under  Moncrieft',  of  Alloa,  was  licensed  by 
the  Presbytery  of  Kirkcaldy  before  he  was  twenty-one  years 
old,  and  was  soon  sent  to  supply  the  Associate  congregation  of 


86  HISTORY    OF   THE 

Gilnakirk,  nenv  Belfast,  in  Scotland.  Here  he  was  ordained 
and  installed  in  August,  1772,  and  remained  as  pastor  till  1798, 
when  part  of  his  congregation  sympathized  with  the  "Irish 
Rebellion,"  and  as  he  was  strongly  loyal,  trouble  ensued,  and  he 
resigned,  and  during  the  next  year  sailed  for  XeAv  York, 
where  he  landed  on  the  26th  of  September,  1799.  He  was  in- 
stalled in  Carlisle  on  the  27th  of  August,  1802;  served  the  As- 
sociate Synod  for  twenty -tive  years  as  its  lirst  Stated  Clerk, 
until  he  was  almost  eighty  years  old.  He  resigned  his  charge, 
and  preached  his  farewell  sermon  on  the  14th  of  May,  1832,  and 
then  went  to  NeAv  York  city  to  make  his  home  with  his  only 
surviving  son.  In  consequence  of  a  fall,  he  died  on  the  2d  of 
Is'ovember,  1833,  in  the  85th  year  of  his  age,  and  the  64th  year 
of  his  ministry.  He  was  an  instructive  preacher,  a  strong 
Church  man,  and  a  diligent  laborer,  and  was  universally 
respected.  The  Hon.  W.  B.  McClure,  of  Pittsburgh,  who 
was  brought  up  under  his  ministry,  says  of  him :  "  His  char- 
acter was  an  institution  in  the  sphere  in  which  he  moved. 
He  scattered  cheerfulness,  and  love,  and  light  wherever  he 
went.  We  looked  at  him  as  a  star  whose  light  was  borrowed 
from  a  source  beyond  the  sun." 

In  Ma}-,  1833,  sundry  residents  in  Wheatfield  township,  near 
the  mouth  of  Sherman's  creek,  in  Perry  county,  petitioned  the 
Associate  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  for  supply  of  preaching. 
The  ultimate  result  of  this  was  a  church  organization,  which 
was  completed  on  the  24th  of  June,  1834,  when  Mr.  Adams 
ordained  and  installed  Alexander  Gaily,  Robert  G.  Stephens, 
Alexander  Garret  and  John  Duncan  as  ruling  elders.  This 
congregation  took  the  name  of  Unity,  but  when  they  erected 
a  new  house,  and  located  in  the  neighboring  village  of  Peters- 
burg, they  assumed  the  name  of  that  place,  and  when  the 
corporate  name  of  Petersburg  was  changed  to  Duncannon, 
they  also  changed  their  name  to  Duncannon.  Two  years  pre- 
vious to  this  organization,  some  families  in  Juniata  township, 
near  Milford,  applied  for  a  supply  of  preaching,  and  in  due 
time  they  received  a  kind  of  half  organization.  This  station 
was  sometimes  joined  to  the  Unity  congregation  as  a  northern 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  87 

'wing, and  sometimes  it  acted  independently, but  it  never  male 
much  progress  in  either  capacity. 

In  1834,  the  Presbytery  formed  Unity  and  Carlisle  into  a 
pastoral  charge,  and  this  relation  continued  for  twenty-three 
years.  On  the  7tli  of  May,  1835,  three  different  calls  were  laid 
nipon  the  table  of  Presbytery  for  the  pastoral  services  of  Alex- 
ander T.  McGill.  One  was  from  Carlisle  and  Unity,  another 
from  Stone  Valle}^  and  connections,  and  tlie  third  from  Balti- 
more. Mr.  McGill  declined  to  decide  between  these  calls,  and 
left  the  whole  matter  with  Presbytery,  which  decided  in  favor 
■of  Carlisle  and  Unity.  Mr.  McGill  Avas  accordingly  ordained 
:and  installed  as  pastor  of  this  charge  on  the  30th  of  September, 
1835,  in  the  Dickinson  stone  church.  His  services  were  satis- 
factory,and,  under  the  circumstances,  successful,  but  on  the  14th 
of  September,  1837,  he  ottered  his  resignation  of  the  charge 
because  of  the  labor  and  exposure  involved,  particularly  in  the 
winter  season,  in  supplying  four  difierentand  distant  preaching 
places.  This  tender  was  not  acted  upon  till  the  2d  of  Novem- 
ber, when  it  was  accepted,  and  at  the  same  meeting,  a  call  was 
presented  to  him  from  the  newly  formed  Second  congregation 
of  Philadelphia.  This  call  he  took  under  consideration,  and 
agreed  to  supply  its  jtulpit  during  the  succeeding  winter. 

On  the  2d  of  May,  1838,  a  second  call  was  given  Mr.  McGill 
from  Carlisle  and  Unity,  which  he  accepted  upon  the  condition 
that  no  present  arrangements  should  be  made  for  his  installa- 
tion. He  assumed  at  once  the  charge  of  these  congregations, 
and  everything  went  on  smoothly  till  the  meeting  of  Presby- 
tery at  Mercersburo;,  on  the  24th  of  October  of  the  same  year, 
when  he  returned  the  call  and  asked  for  a  certificate  of  dismis- 
sion from  the  Associate  Church,  upon  the  ground  that  for  two 
3'ears  doubts  had  been  growing  in  his  mind  as  to  the  truth  of 
that  Church's  peculiar  teachings  upon  the  subjects  of  Occasional 
Hearing,  Communion  and  Psalmody.  The  final  result  of  the 
Presbytery's  acti(jn  was  his  suspension  from  the  ministry  and 
ithe  communion  of  the  Church.  He  asked  for  a  certified  copy 
'of  the  minutes  in  his  case,  which  was  granted.  This  ho  took 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle  and  asked  for  admission,  well 
•Aware  of  the  fact  that  that  document  would  secure  him  a  more 


88  IIlSTOllY    OF    TUE 

hearty  reception  than  an  ordinary  certificate  of  transfer.  He- 
was  received,  and  immediately  accepted  a  call  to  the  Second 
Presbyterian  clmrcli  of  Carlisle.  Two  of  his  elders,  Messrs. 
Clark  and  Davidson,  and  several  families  went  with  him,  which 
caused  a  serious  and  permanent  injury  to  the  Associate  congre- 
gation which  he  left.  As  Mr.  McGill  had  not  been  accused  of 
any  immorality,  nor  of  any  serious  overt  act  of  unfaithfulness 
to  the  testimony  of  his  Church,  it  will  now  be  very  generally 
conceded  that  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  did, 
in  this  case,  act  hastily  and  with  undue  severity.  And  yet  it 
is  but  justice  to  the  Presbytery  to  say  that  its  action  must  not 
be  judged  from  what  simply  appears  upon  its  minutes;  for  its 
members  had  heard  things,  extra-iudiciall}',  which  influenced 
their  minds,  and  led  them  into  the  belief  that  Mr.  McGill  had 
not  acted  with  sufficient  candor  and  straight-forwardness.  At 
his  communion  in  Unity,  a  few  days  before,  he  denied  any  in- 
tention of  such  a  movement,  and  made  an  appointment  for  his 
future  preaching  as  usual,  while  at  the  same  time  it  was  as- 
serted in  Carlisle  that  he  had  entertained  with  favor,  proposals 
made  by  certain  parties  in  the  Second  Presbyterian  church  of 
that  place.  The  writer  happened  to  be  one  of  Mr.  McGill's- 
parishioners  at  this  very  time,  and  entertained  for  him  then 
and  ever  since,  nothing  but  feelings  of  kindness  and  of  good 
will,  yet  he  always  did  believe  that  Mr.  McGiU's  doubts,  upon 
the  subject  of  Psalmody  at  least,  could  not  be  two  years  old, 
for  within  much  less  time  than  that,  while  "  explaining  "  the 
eighteenth  Psalm,  he  called  the  congregation's  attention  to  the 
fact  that  this  Psalm  was  a  repetition  of  the  twenty-second 
chapter  of  Second  Samuel,  and  asserted  that  no  sulhcient  rea- 
son could  be  given  wh}-  this  Psalm  should  be  recorded  twice  in 
the  Bible,  except  that  the  Holy  Sj^irit  designed  to  use  it  in  the 
praises  of  the  Church,  and  to  make  this  proper  or  lawful,  it 
was  necessary  to  transfer  it  to  the  authorized  Book  of  Praise ; 
and  concluded  with  the  remark  ♦that  he  had  no  doubt  but  that 
the  saints  in  glory  would  praise  God  in  the  language  of  David 
and  Asaph.  This  was  more  than  loyalty  to  the  standards  of 
the  Associate  Church,  for  they  nowhere  confine  the  matter  of 
X^raise  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  Psahns,  to  the  exclusion  of 


lild    SrUIXC    I'RESBYTKKY.  89 

other  Scripture's.  It  cannot  be  regarded  as  citlicr  ini}>r(iper  or 
unkind  to  allude  to  these  things  in  this  place,  for  Dr.  McGill, 
after  nursing  his  grievances  for  thirty-five  years,  saw  fit  to  re- 
surrect this  whole  matter,  in  a  very  oitensive  way  and  with  no 
little  bad  taste,  in  his  letter  to  the  Re-union  of  all  the  Presby- 
terians of  Cumberland  Valley,  which  took  }ilace  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1874,  at  Oakville. 

On  the  26th  of  ^hirch,  1841,  the  Rev.  D.  Anderson  accepted 
a  call  to  Carlisle  and  Unity,  and  was  installed  in  the  Carlisle 
church  on  the  28th  of  October;  but  his  jiastorate  was  very 
short.  In  the  following  Afay  he  went  to  Synod  in  Rhiladelphia, 
accompanied  by  his  daughter,  who  was  going  to  Baltimore. 
He  engaged  her  passage  on  a  boat  which  ])lied  between  the  two 
places,  and  having  put  her  aboard,  while  going  down  the  gang- 
way, which  was  wet  with  rain,  he  slipped,  and  to  recover  him- 
self, he  set  down  his  closed  umbrella  with  such  force  as  to  break 
the  handle,  and  then  falling  upon  the  upright  piece  received 
a  severe  wound  in  his  side,  from  which  he  died  in  a  few  hours. 
]Mr.  Anderson  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  was  held  in  high 
esteem  by  his  friends  as  a  scholar,  as  a  man,  and  as  a  minister. 

In  January,  1844,  Mr.  T.  R.  Simpson  became  stated  supply 
in  Carlisle  and  Unity,  and  on  the  10th  of  the  following  Octo- 
ber was  ordained  and  installed  as  pastor;  the  services  taking 
place  in  the  latter  place.  Mr.  Simpson's  pastorate  was  as  suc- 
cessful as  could  be  expected  under  the  circumstances  ;  but  ex- 
cessive emigration  continued  to  deplete  the  congregations  till 
1855,  when  he  resigned,  and  removed  to  iS^ew  Jefferson,  Ohio, 
and  is  now  resident  in  Allegheny  City. 

After  this  Carlisle  received  very  little  supi»ly,  and  virtually 
disbanded  in  1858.  The  j'ounger  members  gradually  united 
with  the  nearest  Presbyterian  church,  and  the  older  died  off 
one  after  another,  until  very  few  if  any  remain.  The  Dills- 
burg  branch  had  no  property  to  dispose  off,  and  the  church 
property  in  Carlisle  was  sold  by  the  I^resl)ytery  in  1863,  for 
$1,325,  to  the  Winebrennerians.  The  ground  upon  which  the 
Dickinson  church  was  built,  was  donated  for  a  specific  purpose 
by  Mr.  Moore,  and  when  that  purjiose  is  abandoned  it  will  of 
course  revert  to  his  heirs. 


90  HISTORY    OF    THE 

ADAMS  COUNTY. 

Mr.  ^IcLeau  and  the  churches  of  Gettysburg  and  the  Ilill, 
retained  their  connection  with  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia 
when  it  united  with  the  Presbyterian  church  in  1822,  and  con- 
tinued to  do  so  until  that  Presbytery  dissolved  in  1824,  and 
when  the  Presbytery  of  Baltimore  refused  to  receive  Mr.  Dun- 
can in  1825,  Mr.  ^IcLean,  liis  very  special  and  intimate  friend, 
declined  to  otter  his  certificate  to  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle, 
and  joined  with  Duncan,  Chambers,  and  Jewett,  in  forming  the 
"  Independent  Presbytery."  When  he  returned  to  his  charge 
from  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Baltimore,  where  Duncan's 
appeal  was  not  sustained,  he  held  up  his  Biljle  before  his  con- 
gregation and  said :  "  That  is  all  that  I  have  left,  and  if  you 
are  satisfied  to  retain  me  with  that,  I  will  remain  with  you; 
if  not,  I  will  be  obliged  to  seek  a  home  elsewhere."  His  people 
were  very  much  attached  to  him,  and  sympathized  warmly 
with  him,  and  acceded  to  his  terms.  There  was  no  formal 
transfer  of  the  congregation,  and  it  retained  its  old  name  of 
Associate  Reformed.  Things  remained  thus  until  the  25th  of 
January,  1840,  when  a  congregational  meeting  was  held,  but 
without  any  public  intimation  of  its  object.  Eighteen  mem- 
bers attended  this  meeting  at  Avhich  it  was  resolved  to  apply 
to  the  Legislature  for  a  change  of  name.  In  this  they  were 
successful,  and  their  legal  name  was  changed  to  "  the  Indepen- 
dent Church  of  Gettysburg."  But  the  change  of  civil  name 
did  not  bring  ecclesiastical  prosperity,  and  in  1842  Dr.  McLean 
terminated  his  connection  with  them,  and  went  first  to  a  Presby- 
terian church  in  Baltimore,  then  to  a  Reformed  Dutch  congre- 
gation at  Fort  Plain,  in  New  York,  and  then  took  charge  of  a 
Female  Seminary  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  where  he  died  on 
the  4th  of  July,  1860,  in  the  74th  year  of  his  age.  He  was  a 
man  of  very  decided  abilities,  and  was  greatly  esteemed. 

Gettysburg  and  the  Hill  now  found  themselves  without  a 
pastor,  and  without  any  Churchly  relations,  and  soon  began  to 
realize  their  loneliness  and  destitution.  They  must  look  some- 
where, and  as  they  had  retained  the  forms  and  customs  of  their 
former  days,  they  naturally  turned  to  the  Associate  Reformed 
Presbytery  of  Big  Spring.     So,  on  the  18th  of  August,  1842, 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBVTEP.V.  91 

they  sent  commissioners  to  tluit  i'resbytery,  soliciting  a  sn[:- 
ply  of  preaching,  and  asking  upon  what  terms  they  could  he 
received  under  its  care.  A  supply  was  granted,  and  for  infor- 
mation as  terms  of  union,  they  were  referred  to  the  C'onfossion 
of  Faitli.  On  the  18th  of  April,  1843,  they  were  formally 
and  heartily  received,  and  have  so  remained  ever  since.  On  the 
loth  of  November,  1843,  tliey  gave  a  call  to  Joseph  II.  Pressly, 
which  was  declined.  On  the  18th  of  September,  1844,  Presby- 
tery joined  these  congregations  with  Chambersburg  in  a  pas- 
toral charge,  and  on  the  30th  of  October,  Mr.  Gracey  was  in- 
stalled as  pastor  for  half  of  his  time.  This  relation  continued 
till  the  10th  of  October,  1849.  For  three  years  they  were  again 
dependent  upon  the  Presbytery  for  supplies,  during  which  time 
a  call  given  to  James  Greer  was  declined.  In  the  autumn  of 
1852,  they  were  again  united  to  Chambersburg,  and  the  Rev. 
D.  T.  Carnahan  served  both  places  for  two  years  as  stated  sup- 
ply. He  was  followed  for  three  years  by  the  Rev.  John  R. 
Warner  as  stated  supply.  Mr.  Warner  was  opposed  to  the  con- 
templated union  of  the  Associate  Reformed  and  Associate 
Churches,  and  in  1857,  accepted  a  call  to  a  Presbyterian  Church 
in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  did  cverj'thing  in  his  power  to 
have  our  churches  disorganize,  so  that  their  families  might 
unite  with  his  church  and  the  Presbyterian  congregation  in 
Gettysburg.  In  this  he  was  not  successful,  although  he  eitected 
some  mischief,  and  the  congregations  went  cordially  into  the 
union  which  formed  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 

YORK  COUNTY. 

As  already  stated  elsewhere,  a  number  of  the  families  of  the 
Associate  Reformed  church  in  Lower  Chanceford,  became  very 
much  dissatisfied  with  the  action  of  their  Presbytery  (the 
Philadelphia),  in  reference  to  the  union  of  1822,  and  sought 
connection  with  the  Associate  congregation  of  Guinston.  For 
their  accommodation  a  church  was  organized  iii  Lower  Chance- 
ford,  on  the  13th  of  August,  1823,  and  Mr.  Gordon  gave  to 
them  the  one-fourth  of  his  time.  Most  of  these  families  re- 
turned to  the  Associate  Reformed  congregation  in  a  few  years, 
after  its  prospects  became  more  encouraging,  still  the  organiza- 


92  HISTORY    OF    THE 

tioii  was  ke|)t  ii})  and  in  connection  with  Guinston,  till  after 
the  union  of  1858.  On  the  20th  of  October,  1825,  Mr.  Gor- 
don's relation  to  these  churches  was  dissolved,  and  he  removed 
to  I'utnani,  'New  York,  and  subsequently  to  Johnstown  of  the 
same  state,  whore  he  died  suddenly  on  the  20th  of  August, 
1845.  ^fr.  Gordon  was  a  man  of  melancholy  temperament, 
but  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  as  a  preacher  and  as  a  writer. 

During  the  latter  part  of  1825,  Guinston  gave  a  call  to  Mr. 
Thomas  Good wil lie,  Avhicli  was  declined  ;  and  the  13th  of 
April  1830,  they  did  the  same  to  Horatio  Thompson  with  the 
same  result.  After  two  other  abortive  efforts,  they  finally 
succeeded,  on  the  11th  of  September,  1833,  in  having  John 
Adams  installed  as  their  pastor.  For  more  than  twenty  years 
he  discharged  the  duties  of  his  ministry  with  peace,  and  com- 
fort, and  reasonable  success.  On  the  26th  of  April,  1855,  he 
demitted  his  charge  because  of  declining  health  and  of  the 
frailties  of  old  age,  although  he  lived  to  the  14th  of  January, 
1862,  when  he  quietly  passed  away  without  an  hour's  premoni- 
tion. He  was  a  good  man  and  an  instructive  preacher,  although 
not  specially  attractive  in  his  manner. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1856,  Francis  McBurney  was  or- 
dained and  installed  as  Mr.  Adam's  successor,  and  he  and  his 
charge  went  heartily  into  the  union  of  1858,  and  thus  laid  aside 
the  ecclesiastical  name  which  Guinston  or  Muddy  Creek  had 
borne  for  more  than  a  hundred  years. 

The  union  of  1822,  was  almost  a  death  blow  to  the  Associate 
Reformed  churches  in  Lower  Chanceford  and  Hopewell.  Some 
were  discouraged  and  went  into  the  Presbyterian  church,  others 
united  with  the  Associate  church  at  Guinston,  but  a  faithful 
few  remained  in  each  place,  who  resolved  to  wait  and  see  what 
time  and  Providence  would  do  for  them.  They  turned  their  backs 
upon  the  departing  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  with  which 
they  had  always  been  connected,  and  when  the  Presbytery  of 
Big,Spring  was  re-organized,  they  united  themselves  with  it. 
and  have  so  remained  till  the  present  time.  For  several  years 
their  supply  of  preaching  was  very  limited,  but  it  gradually 
became  more  abundant,  and  they  strengthened  in  numbers  and 
resources,  so  that  they  felt  able  to  support  a  pastor,  and  on  the 


bk;  sprinc;  presuyteky.  03 

SOth  of  August,  1843,  D.  B.  Jones  was  ordained  aj)d  installed 
as  their  spiritual  guide.  This  relation  continued  till  the  30th 
of  April,  1847,  when  Mr.  Jones  resigned,  and  during  the  follow- 
ing year  left  the  Presbytery.  On  the  2oth  of  Oetol)er,  184S,  Wil- 
liam Carlile  was  ordained  and  installed  in  this  same  field,  and 
although  surrounded  with  some  discouragements  he  did  a  good 
work,  hut  was  compelled  to  resign  on  the  loth  of  May,  1856, 
because  of  ill  health.  On  the  Gth  of  May,  1857,  Joseph  Boyd 
was  ordained  and  installed  as  the  next  pastor,  but  his  incum- 
bency lasted  only  until  the  14th  of  the  following  April.  The 
union  with  the  Associate  Church  which  was  consummated  in 
May,  made  a  re-casting  of  the  pastorates  in  York  county  both 
possible  and  desirable. 

JUNIATA  AXD  MIFFLIN  COUNTIES. 

"When  the  crash  of  1822  left  Mr.  Smith  alone  in  the  i'res- 
by  tery  of  Big  Spring,  he  and  his  congregations  in  Fermanagh  and 
Tuscarora  sought  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Monongahela, 
until  the  installation  of  Mr.  Sharp  resuscitated  his  old  Presby- 
tery. But  now  he  had  become  an  old  man,  and  his  day  of 
labor  was  fast  drawing  to  its  close.  He  had  labored  well  and 
successfully,  and  had  maintained  his  congregations  in  good 
<;ondition,  notwithstanding  the  many  difficulties  with  which  he 
had  to  contend.  When  ho  first  took  charge  of  Fermanagh  in 
1806,  it  had  tfiirty-six  families  and  ninety-four  members ;  in 
1830,  it  had  thirty-nine  families  and  ninety  members.  Tusca- 
rora he  organized  about  1801,  and  left  it  with  fifty  families 
and  a  hundred  and  five  members.  During  the  last  two  years 
of  Mr.  Smith's  life,  he  was  so  frail  as  not  to  be  able  to  perform 
much  work,  and  as  there  was  but  one  other  minister  in  the 
Presbytery,  he  could  receive  but  little  help.  On  the  12th  of 
February,  1832,  he  died  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age, 
and  the  fifty-sixth  of  his  ministry. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Iixdand,  and  like  all  the  Seceder 
ministers  of  his  day,  was  educated  in  Scotland.  He  became 
pastor  of  the  congregation  of  Ahanghel,  in  the  county  of  An- 
trim, which  he  served  for  a  number  of  years,  and  then  emi- 
grated  to  the  United  States  in   the  early  part  of  1799.     He 


94  HISTORY    OF    THE 

landed  at  New  Castle,  Delaware,  and  for  a  year  made  that  the 
home  of  his  family. 

In  the  spring  of  1800,  he  moved  up  to  York  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  supplied  Chanceford  and  Hopewell  for  a  year, 
and  in  1801,  he  was  installed  for  half  his  time  as  pastor  of 
Tuscarora,  where  he  bought  a  farm,  upon  which  he  ever  after- 
wards lived,  and  where  he  died.  He  was  small  in  stature,  of 
ruddy  complexion,  had  a  warm  temperament,  and  was  very 
temperate  in  all  his  habits.  He  was  cultured  and  gentlemanly 
in  his  manners,  and  in  every  position  and  relation  in  life  which 
he  was  called  to  occupy  he  exhibited  the  graces  of  the  active 
but  humble  christian.  He  was  a  strong  Churchman,  and  was 
rooted  and  grounded  in  his  attachments  to  the  distinctive  doc- 
trines of  the  Associate  Reformed  Church,  and  opposed  at  all 
times,  every  attempt  at  union  with  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
"When  that  union  did  partially  take  place,  to  the  injury  of 
Presbytery,  he  stuck  by  his  old  banner,  and  was  the  means  of 
preventing  worse  consequences.  As  a  preacher,  he  was  good 
and  instructive,  and  no  mean  master  of  tender  pathos  and  fiery 
denunciation. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  1835,  James  Shields  was  ordained  and 
installed  over  the  congregations  of  Fermanagh  and  Tuscarora, 
dividing  his  time  equally  between  the  two  places,  and  making 
his  residence  within  the  bounds  of  the  former.  Shortly  after 
Mr.  Shields'  settlement,  a  restless  spirit  of  emigration  showed 
itself  in  his  section  of  country,  and  his  congregations  sufiered 
severely  from  the  removal  of  whole  families,  so  that  in  spite 
of  respectable  accessions,  they  steadily  decreased  in  their  num- 
ber of  members. 

After  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Brown,  the  congregation  of 
Concord  remained  vacant  until  the  28th  of  December,  1828^ 
when  Alexander  MeCahan  was  installed  for  the  two-fifths  of 
his  time  in  connection  with  Chambersburg.  This  pastorate 
lasted  till  the  6th  of  October,  1830,  when  Mr.  McCahan  resigned 
and  soon  afterwards  took  charge  of  the  congregation  at  Can- 
onsburg.  On  the  3d  of  August,  1837,  Robert  Gracey  was  in- 
stalled as  pastor  in  connection  with  Chambersburg.  In  con- 
sequence of  the  long  ride  and  l^ad  roads  which  separate  between 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY,  95 

these  places,  he  resigned  his  care  of  Concord  on  tlie  18th  of 
October,  1843,  although  before  his  removal  to  Tittsbiirg  he 
supplied  it  again  for  a  season.  Their  dependence  upon  Pres- 
bytery for  word  aiid  ordinance  continued  till  1856,  when  the 
Rev.  D.  B.  Jones  returned  to  the  Presbytery  and  ministered  to 
them  as  stated  supply. 

Shortly  after  his  settlement  in  Fermanagh,  Mr.  Logan  began 
to  preach  occasionally  to  a  few  families  in  the  valley  of  the 
Kisbacoquillas,  within  what  is  now  Miiiiin  county.  The  result 
was  the  organization  of  a  small  church  about  1790,  composed 
of  the  McDowells,  the  Camerons,  the  Flemings,  the  Cum- 
minses,  the  Bickets,  the  Brahams,  the  Samples,  the  Bairds,  and 
the  McKees,  the  most  of  whom  had  come  from  Scotland. 
Hugh  Braham,  Alexander  Cameron,  and  James  Fleming  were 
ordained  as  elders.  They  came  to  form  a  part  of  Mr.  Logan's 
charge,  and  were  supplied  by  him  as  long  as  he  was  able  to 
ride  that  far.  During  the  years  of  1805  and  1806,  they  were 
supplied  part  of  the  time  by  William  Adair,  before  his  ordina- 
tion and  removal  to  Virginia.  After  this  they  were  dependent 
upon  the  occasional  services  of  Mr.  Smith,  and  during  the  year 
1809,  formed  the  one-fifth  part  of  his  pastoral  charge.  For  ten 
or  fifteen  years  longer  he  preached  for  them  three  or  four  days 
per  year,  which  was  not  sufficient  to  keep  them  up  against  the 
inroads  of  death  and  emigration,  so  that  the  enterprise  grad- 
ually died  out. 

And  yet  the  cause  did  not  entirely  perish,  for  some  of  the 
families  still  remained  and  continued  faithful  to  their  religious 
convictions.  About  the  year  1825,  a  difficulty  occurred  in  the 
neighboring  Presbyterian  church,  over  the  introduction  ot" 
hymns  into  their  public  swices,  which  threw  oft' sundry  fami- 
lies which  joined  with  these  remaining  ones,  and  they  applied 
to  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  for  a  su}»i»ly  of 
preaching,  which  was  granted,  and  John  G.  Smart  visited  them 
in  1828.  During  the  winter  of  1832-3,  they  were  regularly  or- 
ganized as  a  congregation  by  the  Rev.  William  McEhvee, 
when  Col.  William  Cummins  and  Major  William  Ramsey  were 
ordained  as  ruling  elders. 

At  this  same  time  a  similar  movement  was  made  by  .James 


96  HISTORY    OF    THE 

McConnell  and  others,  in  and  near  Lewistov/n,  situated  at 
the  mouth  of  Ivishacoquillas  Creek,  In  the  winter  of  1832-3 
they  were  also  organized  into  a  congregation  by  the  Rev.  W. 
McElwee,  and  John  L.  Porter  and  Samuel  W.  Stewart  were 
ordained  as  their  ruling  elders.  On  the  8th  of  April,  1834, 
these  two  congregations  were  united  by  Presbytery  with  Stone 
Valley,  so  as  to  form  one  pastoral  charge,  and  for  many  3-ears 
these  three  congregations  have  substantially  a  common  history, 

HUNTINGDON  COUNTY. 

The  congregation  of  Huntingdon,  including  its  important 
out  station  at  Manor  Hill,  continued  reasonably  prosperous  up 
to  the  23d  of  August,  1825,  when  its  pastor,  Mr,  Smith,  died. 
It  numbered  at  that  time  about  one  hundred  members,  but  it 
had  now  seen  its  Ijest  days,  and  was  never  favored  with  another 
pastor. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Smith  was  a  native  of  Dumfries,  in  Scot- 
land, was  educated  at  Edinburg,  and  in  1790,  was  ordained 
and  appointed  by  the  Associate  Synod  as  a  missionary  to  the 
United  States.  This  appointment  he  finally  declined,  but  sub- 
sequently, about  the  year  1800,  he  came  to  this  country  upon 
his  own  responsibility.  lie  traveled  among  the  churches  till 
the  autumn  of  1811,  without  receiving  any  call,  and  then  set- 
tled down  in  Huntingdon,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  possessed  a  fair  mind,  and  was  strongly  attached  to 
the  doctrines  of  his  Church,  but  his  greatest  strength  lay  in  a 
kind  and  hospitable  disposition,  which  made  him  a  very  indus- 
trious and  sympathetic  pastor. 

The  inflow  of  Associate  families  was  mainly  into  the  upper 
part  of  Stone  Valley,  so  that  about  1830,  a  new  preaching  sta- 
tion was  there  opened,  and  for  the  accommodation  of  this 
branch,  the  Stone  Valley  church,  one-half  mile  east  of  McAl- 
evy's  Fort,  was  built  in  1832.  Here  the  communion  was 
administered  for  the  first  time  in  November,  1833,  by  Dr. 
Beveridge ;  and  from  this  onward  this  branch  acted  as  an  inde- 
pendent congi'egation,  although  it  was  never  distinctiveh'  or- 
ganized. As  Huntingdon  decreased  and  its  branch  at  Manor 
Hill  increased,  the   latter  inherited   the   organization   of  the 


BIG   SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  97 

ibrmer;  and  as  Manor  Hill  decreased  and  its  branch  near 
McAlevy's  Fort  increased,  so  this  latter  inherited  this  trans- 
mitted organization,  and  Stone  Valley  thus  received  its  congre- 
gational autonomy  u]ion  the  principle  of  the  survival  of  the 
fittest.  Robert  Cummins  and  James  Seniple  were  about  this 
time  ordained  as  ruling  elders,  and  in  1833,  tlie  congregation 
first  appeared  upon  the  roll  of  Synod,  and  was  credited  with 
forty-six  members. 

As  already  stated,  Presbytery,  in  1834,  united  Stone  Valley, 
Kishacoquillas  and  Lewistown  into  a  pastoral  charge.  This  left 
-the  congregation  in  the  town  of  Huntingdon  with  only  thirty- 
six  members,  and  in  an  isolated  and  helpless  condition.  lu 
1838,  they  gave  a  call  to  Rev.  David  Thompson  to  become  their 
pastor,  but  this  he  declined,  and  the  congregation  never  made 
another  efibrt  to  secure  a  pastor.  Death  and  emigration  with- 
-out  any  immigration  of  those  of  their  faith,  gradually  dimin- 
ished their  numbers,  until  in  utter  discouragement,  they  sold 
■their  house  in  1847,  and  in  a  few  years  became  extinct.  Thus 
perished  through  the  shifting  of  population,  and  some  unwise 
management  the  oldest  and  at  one  time  the  largest  congrega- 
tion in  the  respectable  and  growing  town  of  Huntingdon. 

In  May,  1835,  the  united  charge  of  Stone  Vallej^  Kishaco- 
quillas, and  Lewistown  gave  a  call  to  Alexander  T.  McGill 
which  was  not  successful.  In  October  of  the  same  year  another 
-call  was  given  to  William  Galbraith,  which  was  also  declined. 
In  February,  1836,  a  call  was  given  to  John  S.  Easton,  who 
accepted  it,  and  was  ordained  and  installed,  on  the  5th  of  May, 
at  the  Stone  Valley  church.  He  preached  one-fourth  of  his 
time  in  Lewistown,  one-fourth  at  Kishacoquillas,  and  one-half 
at  Stone  Valley.  Preaching  one  Sabbath  per  month  may  keep 
41  country  congregation  alive,  where  there  is  no  competition  or 
antagonism,  but  in  a  place  of  the  size  and  activity  of  Lewis- 
town,  it  is  simply  slow  starvation  ;  and  so  it  proved  in  this 
case.  Lewistown  did  not  receive  accessions  sufficient  to  com- 
pensate for  its  natural  losses,  and  gradually  declined  until  the 
17th  of  May,  1842,  when  Presbytery  united  it  and  Kishaco- 
quillas into  one  church  under  the  name  of  Reedsville.  On  the 
^Oth  of  February,  1855,  Mr.  Easton  resigned  his  official  relation 
1 


98  HISTOKY    OF    THE 

to  these  churches,  to  take  charge  of  the  congregations  at 
Scroggsfiold  and  Yellow  Creek,  Ohio,  to  which  he  had  heen 
called  the  previous  autumn.  Stone  Valley  had  at  this  time 
ninetj-six  members.  The  congregation  of  Kishacoquillas  built, 
in  1841,  a  neat  brick  church  in  the  village  of  Reedsville ;  and 
previous  to  this  the  congregation  of  Lewistown  had  bought  a 
church  from  the  United  Brethren.  After  the  consolidation  of 
these  two  congregations  into  one,  the  church  in  Lewistown  be- 
came ultimately  useless,  and  the  united  congregation  made  an 
attempt  to  sell  it,  which  was  resisted  by  one  of  its  old  elders ; 
and  it  was  only  after  a  long  litigation  and  an  enabling  act  of 
the  Legislature,  that  it  was  sold  for  seven  hundred  dollars. 
So  Lewistown,  like  Huntingdon,  is  now  without  trace  or  me- 
morial of  the  Associate  Church. 

After  the  departure  of  Mr.  Easton,  a  call  was  given  to  Mr. 
J.  "W.  McFarland,  w^hich  was  declined.  These  congregations 
came  heartily  into  the  union  of  1858,  and  in  the  reconstruction 
of  Presbyteries  they  came  under  the  supervision  of  the  33ig 
Spring  Presbytery  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 

SCHUYLKILL  AND  CARBON  COUNTIES. 

Early  in  the  year  1849,  a  petition  was  received  by  the  Asso- 
ciate Reformed  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring,  from  a  number  of 
families  in  Pottsville,  Schuylkill  county,  earnestly  asking  for 
preaching.  They  were  all  immigrants  from  Ireland,  who 
could  not  in  that  place  find  the  precise  type  of  Presbyterianism 
to  which  they  had  been  accustomed.  Their  petition  was  lib- 
erally answered,  and  on  the  17th  of  January,  1851,  a  church 
was  organized  of  twenty-nine  members,  and  Samuel  Thompson 
and  James  G.  Cochran  were  ordained  to  the  eldership.  An 
appeal  for  help  had  already  been  made  to  the  churches  of  the 
Presbytery,  and  with  such  aid  as  they  had  thus  received,  but 
mainly  from  their  own  resources,  they  entered,  on  the  20th  of 
April  of  the  same  year,  a  very  commodious  house  of  worship, 
with  a  seating  capacity  of  four  hundred.  The  Rev.  J).  T.  Car- 
nahan  commenced  supplying  them  in  1850  and  was,  on  the  22d 
of  October,  1851,  installed  as  pastor.  He  resigned  on  the  28th 
of  September,  1852,  and  John  R.  Warner  was  ordained  and 


BIrt    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  09 

installed  as  his  successor  on  the  loth  of  April,  1853,  hut  his 
pastorate  continued  only  to  the  30th  of  tSoptember  of  the  same 
year.  William  II.  Prestley  commenced  supplying  them  early 
in  1855,  and  that  his  usefulness  might  be  increased,  he  was  or- 
dained on  the  12th  of  June,  .'^me  tiUdo  He  remained  as  their 
stated  supply  till  October  of  the  following  year,  since  which 
they  were  dependent  upon  occasional  sujtply. 

In  February,  1851,  application  was  made  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Big  Spring,  by  some  Irish  families  residing  at  Summit  Hill, 
Carbon  county,  for  a  supply  of  word  and  ordinance,  similar  to 
what  they  had  enjoyed  in  their  native  land.  This  request  was 
generously  met,  and  a  full  supply  was  sent  them  for  the  sum- 
mer and  winter,  and  during  the  winter  some  time,  a  church 
was  regularly  organized.  During  the  summer  of  1852,  they 
gave  a  call  to  the  Itev.  James  Johnson,  D.  D.,  who,  having  fin- 
ished his  long  and  successful  pastorate  in  Mansfield,  Ohio,  had 
returned  to  his  native  home  in  York  county,  to  spend  the 
evening  of  his  days.  Dr.  Johnson  supplied  them  for  a  season, 
but  declined  the  labors  and  responsibilities  of  pastoral  care. 
They  never  provided  for  themselves  a  church  building, 
neither  did  they  make  any  further  effort  to  procure  a  pastor. 
Both  these  churches  were  mainly  dependent  upon  a  floating 
population,  which  had  been  attracted  by  the  extensive  coal 
mines  in  their  vicinity,  and  which  wa.^  subject  to  constant  fluc- 
tuation. After  a  few  years  of  good  promise  things  took  a 
change,  and  both  enterprises  failed.  Still  it  was  the  belief  of 
some  who  were  in  a  favorable  position  to  know,  that  Pottsville 
migh  have  succeeded  if  it  had  been  more  wisely  managed,  for 
it  had  a  basis  of  permanent  families,  and  the  size  and  growing 
importance  of  the  place,  promised  a  gradual  increase  of  the 
same  kind.  The  experience  of  the  Associate  Reformed  Church 
has  uniformly  shown  that  in  all  new  enterprises,  wisdom  is  of 
more  importance  and  in  the  end  more  successful  than  brilliant 
talents. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

On  the  loth  of  August,  1828,  a  Rev.  James  Wilson  was  re- 
ceived as  a  member  of  Presbytery,  but  during  the  next  year. 


loo  HISTORY   OF    THE 

he  left  for  Washington  Presbytery,  New  York,  where  he  did 
not  stay  long  enough  to  become  a  member  of  its  Synod. 

April  28,  1829,  a  petition  was  received  from  James  P.  Ram- 
sey, Mrs.  ]S1.  AIcLandburg  and  others  in  Philadelphia,  asking 
to  be  recognized  as  a  vacancy,  and  to  be  supplied  with  preach- 
ing. This  petition  was  granted,  and  for  a  year  they  received 
considerable  supply,  but  the  removal  of  Mr.  McCahan  and  the 
failure  of  Mr.  Smith  from  age,  left  Mr.  Sharp  alone  in  Presby- 
tery, so  in  1830,  he  transferred  P.hiladelphia  to  the  Presbytery 
of  New  York. 

The  General  Synod  of  1851  sent  down  to  Presbyteries  cer- 
tain overtures  in  reference  to  Church  Government.  Presbytery, 
at  a  full  meeting  of  its  members  on  the  14th  of  April,  1852, 
gave  the  following  answer,  viz  : 

"  Ist.  That  no  alteration  be  made  in  the  ratio  of  Presbyterial  represen- 
tation to  General  Synod. 

"2d.  That  General  Synod  be  recommended  to  strike  out  in  Book  Ist,  on 
Church  Government,  Chaj^ter  3d,  Section  Ist,  and  paragraph  2d,  the  word 
'  male,'  and  insert  the  word  '  communing,'  in  its  place. 

"3d.  That  in  temporalities,  the  right  of  voting  be  extended  to  pew-hold- 
ere,  or  supporters  of  the  ordinances,  who  have  no  voice  in  any  other  con- 
gregation :  Provided,  This  right  be  not  so  extended  as  to  affect  the  election 
or  dismission  of  Pastors  or  the  election  of  Elders  or  Deacons." 

These  same  subjects  were  re-overtured  by  the  Synod,  and 
Presbytery,  at  a  meeting  held  at  Pottsville,  April  13,  1853, 
when  there  were  only  two  ministers  and  two  elders  present, 
took  the  following  action,  viz : 

"  1st.  That  our  Standards  be  so  altered  that  the  word  '  male '  be  stricken 
out  in  reference  to  church  members  voting  for  church  officers — ayes,  2  ; 
nays,  2. 

"2d.  That  our  standards  be  so  altered  as  to  allow  pew-holders,  and  per- 
sons contributing  to  the  support  of  the  gospel,  to  vote  in  the  temporalities 
of  the  church  :  Provided,  Such  vote  do  not  aflfectthe  settlement  or  removal 
of  the  pastor— ayes,  1 ;  nays,  3. 

"3d.  That  the  ratio  of  Presbyterial  representation  in  General  Synod  re- 
main unaltered — yeas,  i  ;  nays,  0." 

The  old  sj'stem  of  holding  diets  of  catechism,  and  of  mak- 
ing regular  annual  family  visits,  for  the  purpose  of  individual 
instruction  and  prayer,  was  still  kept  up  in  all  the  churches  of 
the  Presbytery,  although  it  became  very  manifest  that  it  must 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  101 

eventually  yield  to  the  more  modem  system  of  [>rayer  meetings 
and  Sabbath  schools.  Facts  have  sliowu  that  those  two  sys- 
tems do  antagonize  each  other,  and  yet  it  is  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult to  see  why  such  should  be  the  case.  Both  systems  have 
their  advantages  and  their  disadvantages,  and  there  is  cer- 
tainly no  sufficient  reason  why  the  Church  should  not  avail 
itself  of  the  advantages  of  both. 

All  these  churches  in  their  early  days,  before  they  had  set- 
tled pastors,  were  more  or  less  in  the  habit  of  meeting  on 
their  vacant  Sabbaths  for  pra3'er  and  praise,  at  which  time  a 
sermon  of  some  Scotch  worthy  was  frequently  read.  These 
meetings  necessarily  ceased  when  a  pastor  was  installed,  and 
in  but  very  few  instances  were  there  any  other  meetings  insti- 
tuted for  prayer  on  a  week  day,  and  in  no  case  more  frequently 
than  once  in  the  month. 

All  this  has  now  changed,  and  week  day  pi-ayer  meetings 
and  lecture  meetings  have  become  the  rule,  and  very  much  to, 
the   spiritual   profit   of  the   people.     And   so  with    Sabbath 
schools.     A  few  years  ago   they  were   almost   unknown,  but 
now  are  in  all  the  churches,  and  since  their  lessons  have  become 
systematic  and  uniform,  are  imparting  a  large  amount  of  bibli- 
cal instruction  to  the  youth  of  our  churches,  and  are  proving 
equally  profitable  to  the  adult  members  by  exacting  of  them . 
a  more  careful  and  diligent  study  of  the  Scriptures,  in  helping, 
their  children  to  prepare  their  lessons,  or  in  qualifying  them- 
selves to  teach  in  the  school. 


iO»a  HISTORY    OF    THE 


CHAPTER  V. 

UNION  OF  1858. 

HE  members  of  tlio  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring  inter- 
ested themselves  in  the  "  Union  of  the  Reformed 
Churches,"  from  the  very  incipiency  of  the  movement 
in  1838,  when  the  first  convention  of  delegates  from  the  General 
Synod  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  and  from  the 
Associate  Reformed  Synods  of  the  AV^est  and  of  Il^ew  York,  Avas 
held  in  Pittsburgh.  And  when  the  Associate  Church  joined 
in,  and  annual  conferences  were  held,  Dr.  Sharp,  our  senior 
presbyter,  was  frequently  selected  by  his  Synod  as  one  of  its 
delegates.  The  position  of  the  Presbytery  was  always  in  favor 
of  this  union,  and  upon  the  most  acceptable  terms  which  could 
be  secured  ;  believing  that  there  was  not  good  and  sufficient 
reason  why  these  Scottish  churches,  of  one  origin,  of  one  faith, 
of  one  worship,  and  of  one  practice,  should  remain  separated. 
"While  the  Presbytery  was  willing  to  concede  much  to  others, 
and  to  accept  in  the  basis  of  union  things  that  it  might  deem 
unnecessary  or  superfluous,  yet  it  always  had  a  very  decided 
opinion  of  its  own,  as  to  the  form  and  matter  of  the  standards 
of  the  United  Church.  It  was  in  favor  of  the  shortest  and 
simplest  basis  that  would  be  compatible  with  fidelity  to  the 
truth  as  received  by  the  Divine  Spririt. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  action  of  the  Presbytery, 
taken,  April  13,  1853,  upon  the  basis  of  union  then  before  the 
churches,  will  give  a  fair  illustration  of  its  views  from  first  to 
last: 

*'  luasmuch  as  faith  in  human  testimony  or  uninspired  history  ought  not 
to  be  required  as  a  term  of  church  fellowship,  and  as  our  profession  and 
practice  ought  to  be  drawn  immediately  from  the  inspired  volume,  and  not 
from  the  doctrines  of  Reformers,  decrees  of  Councils,  and  traditions  of 
men  ;  we  are  of  opinion  that  the  first  party  of  the  Basis  should  be  omitted. 
What  they  believed,  taught,  and  practiced,  as  far  as  was  clearly  required 
by  God's  word,  can  be  as  easily  deduced  from  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  as 


BIG   SPRING    PRESBYTKRY.  103 

-from  their  histories,  and  with  less  danger  of  mistake,  and  with  authority 
not  to  be  called  in  question. 

"The  history  of  times,  of  men,  and  of  things,  since  the  close  of  revela- 
tion, can  be  made  to  answer  a  valuable  end,  without  making  it  and  faith  in 
it,  a  ground  of  church  fellowship. 

"It  occurs  to  us,  that,  as  the  perversion  or  denial  of  doctrines  in  the 
Confession  of  Faith  is  deemed  to  be  the  only  reason  for  adding  tlie  testi- 
mony, those  things  in  it  that  are  as  easily  denied  and  quickly  perverted  as 
the  corresponding  part  of  the  Confession,  cannot  answer  any  valuable  pur- 
pose. If  the  Standards  we  have  be  thought  defective,  ambiguous,  or 
heretical,  an  amended  Confession  is  called  for,  rather  than  a  new  Testimony  ; 
and  while  we  agree  to  take  for  the  present,  much  that  we  think  redundant, 
we  wish  to  be  understood  not  as  thinking  that  "any  part  of  our  Standard  ia 
•  beyond  review  and  amendments  by  the  Church.  Another  general  remark  is 
that  we  prefer  a  didactic  or  declaratory  style,  to  one  polemic  or  argumenta- 
tive, not  only  because  the  object  is  as  fully  obtained  by  the  former  as  the 
latter  method,  but  on  account  of  the  liability  to  introduce  reasonings  not 
:  sanctioned  in  the  word,  and  perplexing  to  the  conscience. 

"When  the  As3oeiate  and  the  Associate  Reformed  Churches 
:united  on  the  26th  of  May,  1858,  m  Pittsburgh,  and  formed 
:the  United  Presbyterian  Church  of  I^orth  America,  all  the 
iministers  and  all  the  cono-reg-ations  then  in  connection  with 
these  Churches,  between  the  Allegheny  mountain  and  the  Sus- 
quehanna river,  went  into  this  union  promptly  and  heartily, 
.and  their  ecclesiastical  names,  which  had  been  living  realities 
for  many  years,  were  now  given  over  to  the  domd,in  of  history, 
:for  the  stream  which  had  been  divided  by  an  island  for  three- 
quarters  of  a  century,  had  come  together  to  flow  in  a  deeper 
.and  a  broader  channel  under  a  new  name. 


104  HISTORY   OF    THE 


CHAPTER  YI. 

1858-1879. 

HE  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring,  under  the  care  of  the 
Synod  of  Pittsburgh,  and  General  Assembly  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church  of  ]!^orth  America,  was 
constituted,  on  June  the  8th,  1859,  at  Newville,  Cumberland 
county.  It  was  composed  of  the  following  ministers  and  con- 
gregations, viz:  John  Adams,  James  Shields,  Joseph  McKee, 
Dargo  B.  Jones,  Francis  McBurney,  William  Carlile,  Joseph 
Boyd,  James  Bruce,  William  McElwee,  and  John  M.  Adair — 
ministers;  Mercersburg,  The  Cove,  Chambersburg,  Big  Spring, 
Gettysburg,  The  Hill,  Guinston,  Chanceford,  Hopewell,  Peters- 
burg, ]Mexico,  Reedsville,  Stone  Valley,  Tuscarora,  Concord, 
and  Pottsville.  In  all,  ten  ministers  and  sixteen  congregations. 
The  union  found  the  congregation  in  the  Cove  in  a  very  un- 
happy condition.  Mr.  McNaughton's  ten  or  twelve  years  of 
separation  from  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  and. 
his  opposition  to  any  union  with  the  Associate  Reformed 
Church,  gave  growing  oifence  to  many  of  his  parishioners,  and 
particularly  to  those  in  the  Cove.  Years  before  the  union,  a 
portion  of  these,  as  we  have  already  seen,  aj^plied  to  the  Asso- 
ciate Reformed  Presbytery  of  Big  Spring,  for  an  organization 
and  a  supply  of  preaching,  and  were  successful  in  both.  At  a 
subsequent  period,  another  part  of  them  applied  to  their  old 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  for  re-admission,  and  were  also  suc- 
cessful. This  left  a  moiety  or  less  of  the  original  congregation 
adhering  to  Mr.  McK'aughton  in  his  ecclesiastical  isolation. 
At  this  stage  and  just  preceding  the  union,  Mr.  ]SIcNaughton 
resigned,  and  eventually  found  his  way  into  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  left  his  little  congregation  ecclesiastically  nowhere. 
When  the  union  was  consummated  a  few  ministers  and  congre- 
gations of  the  Associate  Church  refused  to  enter  it,  and  perpet- 
uated a  small  residuary  Associate  Synod,  and  the  independent 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY'.  105 

portion  of  the  Cove  congresjation  ?oujrlit  and  obtained  admis- 
sion to  this  Synod,  and  has  so  continued  ever  since,  and  is  no\v 
know  as  the  Associate  congregation  of  the  Cove.  They  have 
received  occasional  supplies  until  in  the  summer  of  1877,  when 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Houston  was  installed  as  pastor  for  two-thirds  of 
his  time.  The  congregation  consists  of  eleven  families,  and 
about  twenty-four  communicants  of  intelligent  and  excellent 
people. 

All  the  other  portions  of  the  original  congregations  of  the  Cove 
and  Mercersburg  went  into  the  union,  and  united  in  giving  a  call 
to  James  Bruce,  who,  on  the  11th  of  May,  1858,  was  ordained 
and  installed  as  their  pastor.  The  settlement  was  the  means 
of  great  good  every  way  to  these  congregations,  for  it  har- 
monized and  united  them,  and  gave  them  life  and  hope  by 
bringing  them  into  warm  and  active  Church  relations.  In 
April,  I860,  Mr.  Bruce  resigned  and  took  charge  of  the  church 
at  Andes,  N.  Y.,  where  he  still  resides.  On  the  7th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1865,  a  call  was  moderated  for  Robert  G.  Ferguson,  which 
he  accepted,  and  on  the  1st  of  July,  1866,  he  took  charge  of 
the  congregations,  although  he  was  not  ordained  and  installed 
till  the  17th  of  the  following  October.  During  the  summer  of 
1872,  the  congregation  at  Mecersburg  erected  a  new  church 
building  of  more  than  ordinary  comfort  and  neatness.  On  the 
29th  of  June,  1874,  Mr.  Ferguson  resigned  to  take  charge  of 
the  church  at  Butler,  which  he  still  serves.  On  the  11th 
of  November,  1878,  J.  E.  Black  was  ordained  and  installed  as 
pastor  of  these  congregations,  and  while  they  are  not  numeri- 
cally strong,  and  their  surroundings  do  not  promise  great  in- 
crease, still  they  are  intelligently  attached  to  the  Church,  and 
earnest  in  their  endeavors  to  promote  its  prosperity. 

In  the  early  autumn  of  1858,  the  united  congregations  of 
Gettysburg  and  Chambersburg  gave  a  call  to  William  McElwee, 
which  was  accepted,  and  he  was  ordained  aiid  installed  on  the 
10th  of  November, as  their  pastor.  The  Gettysburg  congregation 
developed  considerable  enterprise,  and  remodeled  their  church 
buildingand  purchased  a  parsonage.  In  the  spring  of  1860,  Mr. 
McElwee  offered  the  resignation  of  his  charge,  for  the  avowed 
purpose  that  each  congregation  might  supply  itself  with  apastor. 


106  HISTORY    OF    THE 

But  as  the  congregations  were  not  anxious  for  this,  the  Presby- 
tery declined  to  accept.  Mr.  McElwee,  however,  did  not  give 
up  his  project,  and  finally  succeed  in  having  the  Presbytery,  on 
the  11th  of  September,  1861,  release  him  from  Chambersburg, 
and  give  all  his  time  to  Gettysburg.  There  is  no  evidence  that 
Chambersburg  was  consulted  in  this  movement,  and  there 
might  be  a  ditlerence  of  opinion  whether  the  Presbytery  under 
such  circumstances  had  the  right  to  make  the  change.  The 
policy  of  the  course  was  certainly  questionable,  and  its  wisdom 
was  never  made  manifest  by  its  fruits.  About  this  time,  and 
mainly  through  the  ettbrts  of  Mr.  McEhvee,  the  Hill  church 
abandoned  its  distinctive  organization,  and  the  old  Marsh 
Creek  congregation,  after  an  existence  of  a  hundred  years,  be- 
comes an  integral  part  of  the  congregation  of  Gettysburg.  In 
the  early  spring  of  1863,  Mr.  Elwee,  without  the  knowledge  of 
his  Presbytery  or  consent  of  his  people,  set  out  on  a  prospecting 
tour  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  When  he  had  closed  a  bar- 
gain with  a  small  congregation  in  the  suburbs  of  Philadelphia, 
he  sent  to  Presbytery  the  resignation  of  his  charge  of  Gettys- 
burg and  asked  for  a  certificate  of  transfer  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  On  the  10th  of  April  the  first  was  readily  accepted, 
and  the  latter  was  also  granted  in  connection  with  a  resolution 
of  censure  for  the  irregularity  of  his  course. 

During  the  first  three  days  of  the  succeeding  July,  the  ter- 
rible battle  of  Gettysburg  took  place,  when  a  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  soldiers,  tens  of  thousands  of  horses,  and  im- 
mense trains  of  baggage  wagons  and  artillery,  were  concen- 
trated and  manoeuvred  in  and  around  the  town.  The  wheat 
was  just  ready  for  the  reaper,  the  corn  was  half  grown,  and 
every  thing  in  which  the  husbandman  had  an  interest  was 
flourishing.  The  result  of  the  fierce  struggle  was  to  the  farmers 
very  disastrous.  Their  growing  crops  were  utterly  ruined, 
their  fences  were  broken  down,  their  live  stock  was  swept 
awajr,  and  in  some  instances  their  barns  and  even  their  houses 
were  burned,  and  the  churches  were  turned  into  hospitals.  If 
the  battle  did  bring  joy  and  hope  to  the  nation,  it  also  brought 
sorrow  and  weeping  to  very  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
neighborhood,  for  ruin  and  desolation  now  rested  upon,  the  fer- 


BIG   SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  107 

tile  lieldrf  where  ripening  grain  and  pasturing  Hocks  butyoster- 
day  gave  promise  of  a  full  and  abundant  future. 

A  large  part  of  tlie  United  Presbyterian  congregation  con- 
sisted of  farmers,  and  in  their  loss  and  distress  was  tlie  church 
severely  tried.  It  was  cast  down,  l>ut  not  destroyed,  for  after 
a  season  of  recuperation,  they  gave  a  call  to  James  S.  Wood- 
burn,  who  accepted,  and  was  ordained  and  installed  on  the 
10th  of  May,  1864,  as  pastor  in  Gettysburg.  This  pastorate 
was  very  short,  for  on  the  7th  of  the  following  March,  it  was 
dissolved,  and  Mr.  Woodburn  followed  his  predecessors  into 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  Realizing  tliat  the  congregation 
was  not  able  to  sustain  a  pastor  all  this  time,  the  Presbytery 
united  with  it  the  congregation  of  Duncannon,  in  Perry 
count}^  when  a  call  was  given  to  W.  A.  Findley,  and  de- 
clined. 

On  the  second  Tuesday  of  April,  1868,  the  Rev.  John  Jami- 
son was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  united  charge.  Subse- 
quently, the  congregation  of  Hopewell,  in  York  county,  was 
substituted  for  Duncannon,  and  as  thus  arranged,  Mr.  Jami- 
son still  holds  the  charge. 

The  resignation  of  Mr.  McElwee  in  the  autumn  of  1861, 
left  the  congregation  of  Chambersburg  in  an  unfortunate  posi- 
tion, for  there  was  no  other  congregation  with  which  it  could 
be  associated,  and  it  was  utterly  unable  to  support  a  pastor 
alone  ;  and  the  continuous  Germanizing  of  the  community, 
and  the  disquietude  necessarily  arising  from  its  location  on  "  the 
border"  in  the  Great  Rebellion,  made  its  prospects  still  more 
gloomy.  It  lay  within  an  eas}'  distance  of  both  Antietam 
and  Gettysburg,  and  its  farmers  were  repeatedly  losers  by  the 
raids  and  invasions  of  the  enemy  until  the  30th  of  July,  1864, 
when  the  greater  and  better  part  of  Chambersburg  was  burnt 
by  General  McCausland,  and  among  the  hundreds  of  houses 
then  given  to  the  torch  was  the  United  Presbyterian  church. 

This  loss,  in  connection  with  the  partial  or  entire  impover- 
ishment of  nearly  all  its  members,  proved  fatal  to  this  old  or- 
ganization. To  begin  and  build  anew,  with  hopes  of  perma- 
nence, appeared  to  be  clearly  impossible  under  existing  cir- 
oumstances,  and  no  eftbrt  to  recuperate  has  since  been  made. 


108  HISTORY   OF   THE 

The  congregation  has  never  been  formally  disbanded  by  Pres- 
bytery, the  members  simply  "  gave  up  "  in  discouragement  and 
scattered,  and  have  pretty  generally  identified  themselves  with 
other  churches.  The  church  lot  has  been  sold  to  the  Episco- 
palians, and  the  proceeds  are  held  in  trust  for  any  future  resus- 
citation of  the  congregation,  or  otherwise  for  the  general  in- 
terests of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 

In  February,  1858,  the  congregation  of  Big  Spring  gave  a 
call  to  the  Rev.  Isaiah  Faries,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Caledonia, 
New  York.  This  call  was  accepted,  and  during  the  summer 
he  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  his  pastoral  duties.  His  in- 
stallation did  not  immediately  take  place,  and  during  the  next 
spring  he  made  a  visit  to  western  New  York,  and  from  there 
sent  back  the  call  and  asked  for  a  certificate  of  dismission, 
without  assigning  any  very  satisfactory  reason,  and  never  re- 
turned. After  a  short  time  he  removed  to  Minnesota,  where 
he  still  lives,  and  preaches  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  as  his 
feeble  health  permits. 

In  August,  1859,  a  call  was  given  to  the  Rev.  John  G, 
Brown,  which  was  declined.  In  June  of  the  following  year 
another  call  was  given  to  the  Rev.  W.  L.  McConnell,  but  from 
prudential  and  satisfactory  reasons,  it  was  not  prosecuted  be- 
fore the  Presbytery.  In  November  of  the  same  j'ear,  a  call 
was  given  to  William  L.  Wallace,  which  was  accepted,  and  on 
the  13th  of  June,  1861,  he  was  ordained  and  installed,  and  re- 
mained as  pastor  until  May  15,  1879,  when  he  resigned. 

During  the  summer  of  1859  this  congregation  erected  a 
brick  parsonage  forty  feet  square  and  two  stories  high  ;  and  in 
the  autumn  and  winter  of  1868  a  new  brick  church,  eighty- 
two  by  fifty-five  feet  on  the  ground  and  two  stories  high,  on 
the  site  of  the  old  building.  These  two  improvements  cost  in 
the  aggregate  nearly,  if  not  altogether,  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  as  this  congregation  has  always  regarded  a  church 
debt  as  a  moral  as  well  as  a  pecuniary  encumbrance,  in  thi& 
case  as  in  all  previous  ones,  they  paid  as  they  went.  On  the 
first  of  January,  1874,  they  al^olished  all  subscriptions  and 
pew  rents,  and  began  to  raise  all  moneys  for  salary,  current  ex- 
penses and  the  Boards  of  the  Church,  by  weekly  contributions. 


BIG   SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  109 

on  the  "  envelope  system,"  and  thus  far  the  system  has  worked 
welh 

The  union  of  1858  was  soon  followed  by  new  combinations 
of  the  pastorates  in  York  county.  In  June,  1859,  Mr.  McBur- 
ney  was  released  from  the  branch  of  his  charge  in  Lower 
Ohanceford,  and  it  was  united  with  the  old  Associate  Reform- 
ed congregation  of  that  township  into  a  pastorate,  and  on  the 
10th  of  August  he  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Hopewell 
congregation  for  one-third  of  his  time.  On  the  6th  of  October, 
1868,  Mr.  McBurney  resigned  the  charge  of  Gruinston  and 
Hopewell,  and  on  the  25th  of  April,  1871,  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Jamison  was  installed  as  his  successor.  On  the  28th  of  June, 
1875,  he  was  released  from  the  Hopewell  branch,  since  which 
time  he  has  confined  his  labors  entirely  to  the  Guinston  con- 
gregation. Hopewell  was  now  united  by  Presbytery  to  the 
church  in  Gettysburg,  and  on  the  12th  of  October,  1875,  the 
Rev.  John  Jamison  was  installed  as  pastor  for  one-half  of  his 
time. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  1861,  T.  F.  Baird  was  ordained  and 
installed  as  the  first  pastor  of  the  consolidated  congregation  in 
Lower  Chanceford ;  but  his  health  did  not  long  permit  him  to 
hold  the  position,  so,  on  the  26th  of  April,  1865,  he  resigned, 
but,  on  the  14th  of  June,  before  the  Presbytery  had  time  to 
act  upon  it,  he  died,  and  thus  passed  away,  young  in  years  but 
ripe  in  grace.  On  the  lltli  of  September,  1866,  they  gave  a 
call  to  their  former  pastor.  Rev.  W.  Carlile,  but  he  did  not 
think  that  the  state  of  his  health  would  warrant  his  return. 
In  September  of  the  next  year,  they  gave  a  call  to  the  Rev. 
John  Jamison,  but  he  did  not  accept ;  and  the  next  year  they 
called  D.  G.  Bruce,  -vrho  accepted,  and  was  ordained  and  in- 
stalled on  the  18th  of  May,  1869.  He  resigned,  June  22d, 
1872,  and  moved  to  the  west.  On  the  29th  of  April,  1875,  A. 
S.  Aiken  was  ordained  and  installed,  and  is  still  in  charge  of 
Lower  Chanceford. 

After  the  departure  of  Mr.  Simpson  all  connection  between 
Carlisle  and  Unity,  or  Petersburg,  ceased,  and  in  June,  1857,  the 
latter  gave  a  call  to  the  Rev.  Joseph  McKee,  of  the  Associate 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  then  teaching  in  Bloomfield,  for 


110  HISTORY    OF    THE 

})art  of  his  time.  This  call  he  accepted,  and,  on  the  loth  of 
July,  he  took  charge  of  the  congregation  although  he  was  never 
installed.  lie  gave  one-third  of  his  time  and  divided  it  equally 
between  the  village  of  Petersburg  and  the  northern  wing  at 
Milford  or  Middle  Ridge.  This  arrangement  continued  till  No- 
vember, 1862,  when  he  ceased  to  preach  at  Milford,  but  con- 
tinued to  supply  at  Petersburg  till  April,  1864,  when  he  left 
the  bounds  of  Presbytery.  Petersburg,  or  Duncannon  as  now 
called,  was  joined  by  Presbytery  to  Gettysburg,  to  form  a  pas- 
toral charge,  and,  on  the  14th  of  April,  1868,  the  Rev.  John 
Jamison  was  installed  as  pastor  of  these  congregations.  On 
the  1st  of  July,  1874,  Mr.  Jamison  resigned  Duncannon  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  charge  of  Hopewell,  in  York  county, 
since  which  time  the  former  place  has  remained  vacant,  and 
has  run  down  considerably  in  numbers  and  in  prospects. 

Shortly  after  the  installation  of  Mr.  Shields  in  Fermanagh, 
a  trouble  came  which  left  for  many  years  some  unpleasant 
feeling.  The  old  log  church  which  had  served  the  congrega- 
tion from  the  period  of  its  organization,  had  become  quite  un- 
comfortable, and  a  new  house  was  a  pressing  necessity.  A  part 
of  the  congregation  wished  to  build  in  the  village  of  Mexico,, 
which  had  sprung  up  not  very  far  oif,  both  for  its  geographical 
position,  and  for  its  town  privileges  and  advantages  ;  while  a 
respectable  minority  contended  for  the  old  site.  The  new 
church  was  built  in  the  town,  in  1837,  and  at  the  same  time- 
the  congregation  was  incorporated,  and  its  name  changed  to 
Mexico.  During  the  incumbency  of  both  Mr.  Smith  and  Mr. 
Shields,  one-third  of  the  preaching  to  this  congregation  was 
done  at  Thompsontown. 

Mr.  Shields  was  never  of  robust  frame  or  vigorous  healthy 
and  during  the  last  few  years  of  his  ministry  was  able  to 
preach  but  once  each  Sabbath.  In  the  spring  of  1862,  he  was 
taken  with  a  severe  cold  from  which  he  did  not  entirely  recover, 
and  about  the  first  of  August  he  left  for  Minnesota,  hoping  to 
gain  some  benefit  from  its  pure  and  bracing  air.  But  on  the 
journey  he  grew  more  feeble,  so  that  when  he  arrived  at  Prairie 
du  Chien,  in  Wisconsin,  he  was  compelled  to  stop,  and  there, 
after  a  fortnight  of  severe  illness,  he  died  on  the  19th  of  Au- 


BIG    SPRING    PRESliYTKRV.  Ill 

gust,  and  his  remains  were  brought  home  and  interred  among 
the  dead  of  his  flock  in  the  old  Fermanagh  grave  yard. 

Mr.  Shields  was  born  in  rittsburgh,  on  the  11th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1812,  and  was  educated  at  the  AV'estern  University  of  his 
native  city,  and  at  the  Theological  Seminary  in  Allegheny,  and 
was  ordained  and  installed  on  the  18th  of  June,  1835,  in  Fer- 
managh, where  he  remained  till  his  death.  He  was  rather 
small  in  stature,  and  fragile  in  body,  with  a  good  face  and  an 
expressive  eye,  and  possessed  a  strong  clear  voice  which  he 
used  very  effectively  in  reading  the  Scriptures,  and  particularly 
in  reading  the  Psalms.  lie  was  not  gifted  with  fluency  of 
utterance,  so  that  in  conversation  as  well  as  in  the  pulpit,  he 
was  of  slow  and  hesitating  speech.  He  had  a  good  mind,  clear 
and  logical,  was  fond  of  good  books  and  cultured  companions, 
and  had  made  good  use  of  both,  so  that  as  a  writer,  he  was 
very  decidedly  above  the  average  minister,  both  in  style  and 
in  matter.  In  private  he  was  very  cheerful,  companionable, 
and  witty,  but  his  great  modesty  and  diffidence  prevented  him 
from  taking  any  prominent  part  in  public  meetings.  Barring 
his  slowness  of  speech,  to  which  his  people  soon  became  accus- 
tomed, his  pulpit  performances  were  good,  and  sometimes 
decidedly  excellent ;  while  in  his  guileless  simple-heartedness, 
cheerful  hospitality,  and  consistent  life,  he  might  with  much 
propriety  have  said  with  Paul,  "Be  ye  followers  of  me,  even 
as  I  also  am  of  Christ.'" 

That  Mexico  might  receive  more  than  the  half  time  of  a 
pastor,  the  long  connection  between  it  and  Tuscarora  was  dis- 
solved on  the  14th  of  May,  1863,  and  the  small  congregation  of 
Reedsville  was  united  with  it  in  a  pastoral  charge.  The  Rev. 
Joseph  McCartney  took  charge  of  Mexico,  on  the  flrst  Sabbath 
of  November,  1862,  as  stated  supply,  and  on  the  18th  of  May, 
1863,  he  received  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  it  and  Reedsville, 
which  he  accepted,  although  his  installation  did  not  take  place 
until  the  14th  of  the  following  April.  Mr.  McCartney  resigned 
on  the  10th  of  July,  1867,  and  passed  from  the  Presbytery. 
On  the  21st  of  October,  of  the  following  year,  this  charge  gave 
a  call  to  John  C.  McElree,  Avhich  was  declined.  On  the  28th 
of    September,   1869,  Presbytery   separated   Reedsville    from 


112  HISTORY   OF    THE 

Mexico,  and  installed  the  liev.  Francis  McBurney  as  pastor  of 
the  latter  for  full  time,  which  relation  still  continues,  and  the 
congregation  is  gradually  growing. 

Rcedsville  was  disjoined  from  Stone  Valley  in  the  autumn  of 
1858,  and  subsequently  joined  to  Mexico,  but  the  death  of 
William  Cummins,  its  last  elder,  on  the  1st  of  April,  1865, 
disorganized  the  congregation,  and  as  it  had  so  run  down  that 
there  were  no  suitable  men  for  the  office,  it  was  put  temporarily 
under  tlie  supervision  of  the  session  of  Mexico.  But  time  and 
culture  brought  no  improvement,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1869, 
it  was  separated  from  the  charge,  and  on  the  22d  of  April, 
1873,  when  it  had  on  its  roll  only  three  male  and  seven  female 
members,  the  Presbytery  formally  disbanded  it,  and  sold  its 
property. 

For  several  years  before  his  death,  Mr.  Shields  felt  unable  to 
perform  the  duties  of  his  office  to  both  his  congregations,  so 
with  the  consent  of  Presbytery,  he  made  a  private  arrangement 
in  1857  or  '8  with  the  Rev.  Joseph  McKee  to  take  charge  of 
the  congregation  of  Tuscarora  as  stated  supply,  although  he 
still  retained  the  pastoral  office.  Mr.  McKee  continued  thus 
till  the  1st  of  April,  1864,  when  he  left  the  Presbytery  for  the 
west. 

Mr.  Jones  continued  to  supply  the  congregation  of  Concord 
till  the  11th  of  April,  1860,  when  he  left  the  bounds  of  the 
Presbytery.  On  the  10th  of  September,  1861,  the  Rev.  Joseph 
McKee  began  to  supply  it  for  one-fourth  of  the  time,  in  con- 
nection with  Tuscarora  and  Duncannon ;  and  when  he  left  in 
the  spring  of  1864,  it  was  united  with  Tuscarora  in  a  pastoral 
charge.  On  the  20th  of  April,  1865,  the  Rev.  John  A.  McGill 
was  installed  as  pastor  of  Tuscarora  and  Concord,  and  his  la- 
bors in  both  have  been  signally  blessed  in  the  conversion  of 
sinners  and  in  the  strengthening  of  believers. 

After  the  separation  of  Reedsville  from  Stone  Valley  in  1858, 
the  latter  gave  a  call  to  John  M.  Adair  for  all  his  time,  which 
was  accepted,  and  on  the  16th  of  March,  1859,  he  was  ordained 
and  installed  as  pastor,  and  has  so  remained  with  comfort  to 
himself  and  profit  to  his  people.  This  was  one  of  the  last 
official  acfs  of  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  113 

The  Rev.  James  A.  McKee  was  received  us  a  member  of  the 
Presbytery  on  the  lltli  of  April,  1860,  but  remained  only  a 
«hort  time. 

The  Rev.  Chauncey  Webster  was  received  on  the  25th  of 
April,  1871,  and  dismissed  in  October,  1874,  and  received  back 
again  on  the  24th  of  April,  1877. 

On  the  16th  of  April,  1862,  the  Presbytery  passed  unani- 
mously the  following  resolution  in  reference  to  the  Civil  AVar 
then  in  progress : 

"Resolved,  That  as  aa  ecclesiastical  body,  and  as  citizens  of  the  United 
States  of  Anierica,  we  hereby  express  our  cordial  and  hearty  approval  of 
the  efforts  of  our  Governmeut  to  suppress  rebellion,  and  declare  ourselves 
the  true  friends  and  supporters  of  the  Government  in  lier  efforts  to  estab- 
lish her  authority  over  all  the  States  of  the  Union." 

"When  the  war  was  ended,  and  President  Lincoln  had  been 
assassinated,  the  Presbytery,  on  the  26th  of  April,  1865,  took 
further  action,  and  resolved, 

"Ist.  That  in  the  sore  judgments  of  the  war,  we  recoguize  the  hand  of 
God  directing  us  to  humble  ourselves  and  to  repent  of  our  Bins  as  individ- 
uals, as  families,  as  a  Church,  and  as  a  Nation. 

"2d.  That  in  the  assassination  of  the  President,  occurring  as  it  did,  in 
the  hour  of  national  triumph,  we  recognize  the  hand  of  an  Allwise  but 
Mysterious  Providence  ;  also,  the  real  spirit  of  the  rebellion,  a  spirit  defi- 
ant of  all  law,  liberty,  justice  and  right ;  also,  the  duty  of  the  Government 
to  deal  more  rigidly  with  all  that  talk,  and  write,  and  act  assietiugly  of 
rebels. 

"  3d.  That  wo  raise  our  protest  against  the  course  of  the  Government  in 
its  lenient  dealing  with  known  leading  rebels.  The  teaching  of  God's 
word,  justice,  and  all  regard  for  public  safety,  demand  that  they  shall  be 
punished  by  death. 

"  -ith.  That  we  give  our  heartiest  support  to  the  Government  in  its  efforts 
towards  "National  Reform,"  as  manifested  in  the  emancipation  proclama- 
tion of  the  President,  his  expressed  determination  in  regard  to  slavery  in 
the  re-construction  of  the  States,  and  the  resolution  of  Congress  to  amend 
the  Constitution  so  as  to  prohibit  slavery,  from  the  States  and  Territories 
forever. 

"5th.  That  we  will  labor  in  all  proper  ways  to  obtain  further  amendment 
to  the  Constitution,  rec<:jgnizing  oar  national  subordination  to  Christ  aa  the 
Prince  of  the  Kings  of  the  earth. 

The  use  of  "  tokens"  in  connection  with  the  dispensation  of 
the  Lord's  Supper  had  become  so  entirely  perverted  from  their 
8 


114  HISTORY    OF    THE 

original  design,  and  the  state  of  society  bad  so  changed  as  to- 
leave  no  occasion  for  their  proper  and  appropriate  use,  that  a 
desire  to  lay  them  aside  was  expressed  in  some  places,  and  aS' 
the  custom  was  too  venerable  to  be  disregarded  without  some 
ecclesiastical  sanction,  the  Presbytery  saw  fit,  on  the  24th  of 
April,  1867,  to  resolve,  "  That  whereas  the  use  of  tokens  in  the 
administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is  not  required  by  any  law 
of  the  Church,  but  is  only  a  traditional  custom  ;  therefore  any 
session  which  may  deem  it  expedient  may  dispense  with  their 
use." 

All  questions  of  public  or  private  morality  which  have  been 
brought  to  the  attention  of  this  Presbytery,  have  found  in  it 
at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances  an  earnest  and  an  active 
laborer  for  the  right.  And  as  the  Church  for  the  last  genera- 
tion has  been  devising  new  enterprises,  and  has  been  putting 
forth  greater  exertions  to  advance  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the 
world,  so  has  this  Presbytery  being  animated  with  the  same 
spirit  and  zeal,  and  has  exerted  itself  to  stimulate  its  congrega- 
tions to  greater  earnestness  of  spirt  and  liberality  in  contribu- 
tions. 

The  Presbytery  is  at  present  in  as  good  condition  for  doing 
its  appropriate  work  as  at  any  former  period.  The  congrega- 
tions are  at  peace  within  their  own  borders  and  with  each 
other ;  they  are  all  in  possession  of  comfortable  church  build- 
ings, and  some  of  them  of  parsonages ;  the  pastors  are  all  in 
the  prime  of  manhood ;  and  prayer  meetings  a  nd  Sabbath 
schools  are  every  where  recognized  and  employed  as  important 
aids  in  the  impartation  of  knowledge  and  in  the  culture  of  the 
graces  of  the  Spirit. 

The  history  of  this  Presbytery  clearly  illustrates  two  facts. 
First,  that  the  prudent  and  industrious  pastor,  without  any 
special  intellectual  gifts,  meets  with  better  success  in  his  work, 
than  his  more  brilliant  but  less  prudent  brother.  And  second, 
that  the  influence  of  the  pulpit  upon  the  pews  is  so  strong, 
that  it  takes  but  a  short  time  for  a  minister  of  fair  abilit}^  and 
prudence,  to  press  himself  upon  the  minds  and  affections  of  his 
people,  so  that  they  will  think  in  things  ecclesiastical  very 
much  as  he  does,  and  follow  to  a  large  extent  where  he  leads.  As 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  115 

long  as  he  is  faithful  to  the  interests  and  enterprises  of  his  de- 
nomination so  will  they,  and  when  he  defaults  in  reference  to 
these  things  he  will  never  be  without  followers. 

It  is  but  a  proper  expression  of  gratitude  to  say  in  conclu- 
sion, that  "the  Lord  has  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  we 
are  glad."  Difficulties  have  always  surrounded  our  location 
and  our  work,  and  peculiar  dangers  have  sometimes  sorely 
pressed,  yet  the  Great  Shepherd,  knowing  "our  works  and 
tribulation,  and  poverty,"  has  preserved  us  in  our  place,  and 
sustained  us  in  our  work,  and  made  us  the  instruments  of 
bringing  many  sons  and  daughters  home  to  glory.  "Great  and 
marvellous  are  Thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty;  just  and  true 
are  Thy  ways,  thou  King  of  Saints." 

The  congregations  under  the  care  of  this  Presbytery  have 
supplied  the  Church  with  a  large  number  of  ministers,  many  of 
whom  have  been  distinguished  for  their  learning,  their  piety, 
and  their  usefulness.  It  is  now  impossible  to  give  a  complete 
list  of  these,  not  only  because  the  records  of  the  successive 
Presbyteries  are  defective,  but  because  a  great  number  of  them 
moved  westward  with  the  families  to  which  they  belonged, 
before  they  had  advanced  far  enough  to  need  Presbyterial 
supervision,  and  thus  finished  their  education  elsewhere,  and 
entered  the  ministery  under  other  agencies.  Still  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  they  were  the  children  of  this  Presbytery,  for 
their  characters  and  purposes  were  largely  moulded  here. 
Elijah  Scroggs,  thirty-three  years  pastor  of  the  Associate 
Church  of  West  Beaver  and  connections ;  his  nephew  Joseph 
Scroggs,  D.  D.,  fifty-seven  years  pastor  of  the  Associate  Church 
of  Fairfield,  Westmoreland  county ;  Abraham  Anderson,  D.  D., 
long  professor  of  theology  in  the  Associate  Seminary  at  Can- 
onsburg ;  Joseph  McElroy,  1).  !>.,  the  first  Associate  Reformed 
pastor  in  Pittsburgh,  and  then  for  fifty  years  a  useful  jiastorin 
New  York;  Henry  Connelly,  a  life-long  laborer  in  the  State  of 
New  York  ;  Robert  and  Randall  Ross,  well  known  in  the  west, 
were  all  born  and  partly  educated  within  the  bounds  of  the 
single  congregation  of  Big  Spring,  but  moved  with  their  fami- 
lies to  the  west  before  they  had  become  students  of  theology. 
Other  congregations  may  not  be  able  to  name  as  many  of  this 


116  HISTORY    OF   THE 

class  as  this,  yet  they  all  had  doubtless  some.  In  addition  to 
this,  a  large  number  of  those  who  still  retained  their  home  and 
church  membership  within  our  bounds,  were  not  licensed  by 
this  Presbytery,  nor  were  they  ever  subject  to  it  as  students. 
This  arose  from  the  fact  that  they  found  it  more  convenient, 
for  different  reasons,  to  connect  themselves  with  the  Presbytery 
of  Monogahela,  or  some  other  one  near  to  the  theological 
seminary  where  they  were  pursuing  their  studies. 

The  following  is  an  imperfect  list  of  those  who  were  born 
within  the  congregations  of  this  Presbytery,  and  educated  for 
the  ministery  while  claiming  this  as  their  home,  although  many 
of  them  were  licensed  elsewhere : 

William  Baldridge  was  Ijorn  of  Irish  parents  in  Xorth  Car- 
olina, in  March,  1760,  was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College,  and 
studied  theology  with  Alexander  Dobbin  of  Gettysburg,  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania  in  1791,  and  was 
ordained  in  August,  1793,  by  the  same  Presbytery  as  pastor  of 
the  congregations  of  the  Forks  of  the  James  River,  Rock- 
bridge county,  Virginia,  where  he  remained  as  pastor  till  1803, 
and  as  stated  supply  till  1809,  when  he  took  charge  of  Cherry 
Fork  and  "West  Fork  congregations  in  Adams  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  died  on  the  26th  of  October,  1830. 

William  B.  Barr  of  Huntingdon  county,  was  educated  at 
Westminster  College  and  Allegheny  City,  and  was  licensed 
April  23d,  1878. 

W.  J.  Brown,  of  Augusta  county,  Virginia,  admitted  as 
student  of  theology  April  28,  1847,  and  died  in  1850. 

George  Buchanan  was  born  in  York  county  in  1782,  was 
educated  at  Dickinson  College,  and  in  the  Theological  Seminar}' 
in  New  York,  was  licensed  in  December,  1809,  and  was  ordained 
in  Steubenville,  Ohio,  on  the  4th  of  June,  1811,  where  he  re- 
mained till  his  death,  October  14,  1855. 

Robert  G.  Campbell,  of  York  county,  was  educated  at  Frank- 
lin College  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  April,  1861,  and 
ordained  November  23, 1863,  is  now  pastor  of  the  United  Pres- 
byterian congregation  of  New  Athens,  Ohio,  and  professor  in 
Franklin  College. 

William  Carlile,  of  Shippensburg,  was  educated  at  Canons- 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  117 

burg  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  April  18,  1843,  and  or- 
dained to  the  pastorate  of  Lower  Clmuceford  and  Hopewell, 
October  25th,  1848,  and  is  now  without  charge. 

David  Carson  was  born  at  Green  Castle,  in  Franklin  county, 
October  25th,  1799,  was  graduated  at  Canonsburg,  studied 
theology  two  years  under  Dr.  Mason  until  the  Seminary  was 
closed,  and  then  finished  with  Dr.  Banks,  in  Philadelphia,  was 
licensed  October  8th,  1823,  and  ordained  in  October  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  as  pastor  of  Big  Spring  and  connections  in  East 
Tennessee;  was  elected  professor  of  Hebrew  and  Church  His- 
tory in  the  Associate  Seminary,  in  1833,  and  died  at  Canons- 
burg on  the  35th  of  September,  1834. 

John  X.  Clarke  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  was  educated 
at  Dickinson  College  and  the  Theological  Seminary  in  New 
York,  was  licensed  September  12th,  1809,  and  ordained  during 
the  following  year  as  pastor  of  the  Second  Associate  Reformed 
congregation  in  New  York  city  ;  he  died  comparatively  young. 

Thomas  B.  Clarkson  was  tlie  son  of  the  Rev.  James  Clark- 
son  of  York  county,  and  was  born  in  1794,  was  graduated  at 
Canonsburg,  studied  theology  with  Dr.  Anderson,  was  licensed 
in  1820,  ordained  sine  tiiulo  in  1822,  and  installed  as  pastor  of 
Mercersburg  and  the  Cove  October  8th,  1823,  and  died  in  1836. 

Abraham  Craig  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  came  to  the  Big 
Spring  when  his  father  assumed  the  charge  of  that  congrega- 
gation,  was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College  in  1795,  was  li- 
censed by  the  First  Presbytery  of  Pennsylvania,  and  ministered 
for  over  thirty  years  to  congregations  in  Kentucky,  "Western 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio. 

Cyrus  Cummins  was  born  in  Huntingdon  county,  graduated 
at  Washington  College,  studied  theology  at  Canonsburg,  was 
ordained  October  22d,  1846,  as  pastor  of  Ceasar's  Creek,  Ohio, 
and  is  now  pastor  of  Mount  Jackson,  Pennsylvania. 

James  L.  Dinwiddle,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Adams  county, 
February  23d,  1798,  was  graduated  at  Washington  College, 
studied  theology  under  Dr.  Mason,  was  ordained  to  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  Mercer  church  on  the  22d  of  November,  1820,  was 
elected  professor  of  theology  in  1843,  and  died  in  January,  1849. 

Robert  G.  Ferguson  was  born  in  the  Concord  congregation. 


118  HISTORY    OF    THE 

was  educated  atCanonsburg  and  Allegheny  City,  and  ordained 
and  installed  on  the  17th  of  October,  1866,  as  pastor  of  Mer- 
cersburg  and  the  Cove,  and  is  now  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Butler. 

S.  G.  Fitzgerald  was  born  in  Tuscarora,  was  graduated  at 
"Westminster  and  studied  theology  in  Allegheny,  was  licensed 
on  the  28th  of  April,  1872,  and  ordained  May  4th,  1874,  as 
pastor  of  the  Fifth  church  in  Philadelphia,  and  is  now  pastor 
of  the  Third  church  of  the  same  city. 

John  Freetly  was  born  in  York  county,  was  educated  at  the 
Western  University  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  April 
17,  1839,  and  has  preached  mainly  in  Illinois. 

Matthew  L.  FuUerton  was  born  in  Green  Castle,  was  gradu- 
ated at  Union  College,  commenced  the  study  of  theology  under 
Dr.  Mason,  and  linished  at  Princeton,  succeeded  John  Lind  as 
pastor  of  Hagerstown  and  Green  Castle  in  1825,  and  died  in 
1833. 

Robert  Gracey,  D.  D.,  was  born  near  ]S"ewville,  in  1811,  was 
educated  at  Canonsburg  and  Allegheny  City,  was  ordained 
August  3,  1837,  was  pastor  of  Chambersburg,  Concord,  Gettys- 
burg, and  Fourth  church,  Pittsburgh,  and  died  July  10th,  1871. 

J.  L.  Grove  was  born  in  York  county,  was  educated  at 
Westminster  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed,  April,  25th, 
1871,  and  ordained  as  pastor  of  Worthington,  October  23d,  1872. 

John  E.  Heannon  was  born  near  ISTewville,  was  educated  at 
Canonsburg  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  April  25th,  1832, 
ordained  November  13th,  1833,  preached  in  Kentucky,  Indiana 
and  Oregon,  died  June  17th,  1863. 

J.  C.  Hunter,  of  Huntingdon  county,  was  graduated  at  West- 
minster College,  studied  theology  at  Allegheny  City,  and  was 
licensed  May  7,  1879. 

Samuel  Irvine,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Huntingdon  county,  was 
graduated  at  Canonsburg  and  studied  theology  with  Dr.  An- 
derson and  was  for  many  years  pastor  of  the  Associate  congre- 
gation of  Salt  Creek,  Ohio,  and  died  a  few  years  ago. 

James  Johnson,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  York  county  in  1788,  was 
educated  at  Washington  College  and  New  York   Theological 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  119 

.Seminary,  was  licensed  June  27th,  1821,  ordained  May  2d,  1822, 
:.a8  pastor  of  Mansfield,  Ohio,  and  died  March  12th,  1858. 

Jeremiah  R.  Johnson,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Franklin  county, 
was  educated  at  Westminster  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed 
April  10,  1861,  and  ordained  June  18,1863,  to  the  pastorate  of 
"Washington,  Pennsylvania. 

Matthew  B.  Johnson  was  born  in  York  county,  was  educated 
at  Canonsburg  and  Allegheny  City,  and  died  in  1836,  on  the 
eve  of  licensure. 

Thomas  Johnston  was  born  in  the  Cove  in  Fulton  county, 
was  educated  under  the  presbyterial  direction  of  Messrs.  Mc- 
Naughton  and  Webster,  and  is  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Talley  Cavey,  Pennsylvania. 

Joseph  Kerr,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Ireland,  1778,  was  graduated 
at  Glasgow  University,  commenced  the  study  of  theology  under 
Dr.  Rodgers  at  Ballybay,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1801, 
settled  temporarily  near  Xewville,  continued  his  studies  under 
the  First  Presbyter}-,  was  licensed  by  the  Monongahela  Pres- 
bytery, April  27th,  1803,  was  ordained  April  25th,  1804,  was 
pastor  of  the  congregations  of  St.  Clair  and  Pittsburgh,  was 
elected  professor  of  theology  in  1825,  and  died  November  12th) 
1829. 

Joshua  Kennedy  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  was  educated 

under   the   auspices   of   the    Reformed   Presbyterian  Church, 

-(0.  S.,)  was  ordained  in  the  autumn  of  1845,  as  pastor  of  the 

Gonecocheague  church,  and  is  now  pastor  in  Delaware  county 

in  Xew  York. 

R.  W.  Kidd  was  born  in  Tuscarora,  was  educated  at  West- 
minster and  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  was  licensed  April  29, 1875,  and 
was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  Seventh  Avenue  church,  New 
York,  October  12th,  1876. 

John  Knox,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Adams  county  June  17th, 
1790,  was  educated  at  Dickinson  College  and  the  New  York 
Theological  Seminary,  was  licensed  in  the  spring  of  1815  ;  he 
-and  his  seminary  classmate  Pascal  N.  Strong,  D.  D.,  were  or- 
dained July  14th,  1816,  as  pastors  of  the  Collegiate  Reformed 
Dutch  Church  in  the  city  of  New  York,  of  which  Drs.  Kuy- 
'pers  and  Milledoler  were  also  pastors.     He  remained  here  in 


120  HISTORY    OF   THE 

active  labors  till  the  8th  of  January,  1858,  when  he  died  from 
a  fall. 

John  M,  EJrebbs,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Hagerstown,  Maryland, 
of  German  Reformed  parentage,  was  reared  and  united  with 
the  church  under  the  ministry  of  John  Liud,  was  educated  at 
Dickinson  College  and  Princeton  Seminary,  and  spent  his  life  as 
pastor  of  one  of  the  leading  Presbyterian  churches  in  New 
York  city. 

John  Lind  was  born  in  Franklin  county  March  14th,  1784, 
was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College  in  1802,  studied  the- 
ology for  a  season  with  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  Hemphill  of 
South  Carolina,  then  with  Alexander  Dobbin  and  John  Young,, 
and  finished  in  the  first  class  of  the  Seminary  in  New  York, 
was  licensed  August  4th,  1807,  was  ordained  October  4th,  1808, 
as  pastor  of  Green  Castle,  Mercersburg,  and  the  Cove,  and  died 
September  20th,  1824. 

William  II.  Logan  was  born  near  Dillsburg,  and  is  preaching 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Millerstown,  Pennsylvania. 

James  "W.  Loguewas  born  in  York  county,  was  educated  at 
Union  College  and  Canonsburg  Seminary,  was  licensed  July 
6,  1841,  and  ordained  October  4,  1843,  at  Northfield,  Ohio, 
where  he  still  remains. 

John  R.  McCallister  was  born  in  York  county,  educated  at 
Franklin  College  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  in  1853, 
was  ordained  in  October,  1855,  exercised  his  ministry  in 
western  Illinois,  and  is  now  at  Shippensburg,  without  a  charge. 

Joseph  McCarroU,  D.  D.,  was  born  at  Shippensburg  July  9, 
1795,  was  educated  at  Washington  College  and  New  York 
Theological  Seminary,  was  licensed  June  19,  1821,  ordained  as 
pastor  of  the  church  at  Newburg,  New  York,  March  14,  1823, 
which  he  retained  till  his  death,  March  29,  1864,  he  was  also 
elected  professor  of  theology  in  1829,  and  discharged  the  duties 
thereof  for  thirty  years. 

George  McCormick  was  born  and  reared  within  the  Concord 
congregation,  was  educated  at  Amherst,  Massachusetts,  and  Al- 
legheny City,  was  ordained  to  the  pastorate  of  Butler,  October 
22,  1872,  and  is  now  pastor  of  the  congregation  at  Salinas^ 
California. 


BIG   SPRING   PRESBYTERY.  121 

James  McCuUoch,  (son  of  James,)  born  at  Big  Spring, 
studied  medicine,  then  went  into  tlie  ministry  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  died  at  Miincie,  Indiana,  in  May,  1877. 

John  ScouUer  MeCullocli,  born  at  the  Big  Spring,  educated  at 
Canonsburg  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  April  9,  1857, 
ordained  pastor  of  the  church  in  Peoria,  Illinois,  August  23, 
1859,  served  as  chaplain  in  the  rebellion,  then  pastor  of  a 
Church  in  New  York  city,  and  now  President  of  Knoxville 
College,  Tennessee. 

John  W.  McCullough,  D.  D.,  (son  of  John,)  born  near  New- 
ville  in  1800,  was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College  in  1825,  was 
ordained  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  soon  afterwards  took 
orders  in  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  officiated  many  years  in 
"Wilmington,  Delaware,  and  died  October  14,  1867. 

Samuel  J.  McCullough,  (brother  of  J.  "W.,)  born  near  New- 
ville  in  1810,  was  graduated  in  Dickinson  College  in  1829, was 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Tioga,  Pennsylvania,  for 
many  years,  and  died  December  19,  1867. 

William  McCullough,  (son  of  "William,)  was  born  near  N'ew- 
ville,  entered  Dickinson  College  in  1830,  studied  law  and  prac- 
ticed it  for  many  years,  was  then  ordained  an  elder  in  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  is  now  located  in  Texas. 

John  A.  McGill  was  born  in  Huntingdon  county,  was  edu- 
cated at  Franklin  College  and  Canonsburg,  was  licensed  in  Oc- 
tober, 1850,  and  ordained  October  7,  1851,  as  pastor  of  Beaver 
congregation,  and  after  occupying  several  other  positions,  is 
now  pastor  of  Tuscarora  and  Concord. 

William  J.  McGill  was  born  in  Huntingdon  county,  was  ed- 
ucated at  Union  College  and  Canonsburg  Seminary,  was  licensed 
in  October,  1852,  and  after  preaching  two  years,  died  on  the 
19th  of  March,  1855. 

John  McJimsey,  D.  D.,  was  born  near  Gettysburg  August 
18,  1872,  was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College,  studied  theology 
under  his  pastor,  Alexander  Dobbin,  and  also  John  Smith,  of 
Octorara,  was  licensed  in  May,  1794,  was  ordained,  sine  titulo^ 
on  the  24th  of  September,  1795,  was  on  the  22d  of  December, 
1796,  installed  as  pastor  of  Neelytown  and  Graham's  Church, 
Orange  county,  New  York,  in  1809  went  to  Albany,  and  in 


122  HISTORY   OF   THE 

1815  to  Poughkeepsie  as  a  teacher,  returned  in  1819  to  Gra- 
ham's Church,  and  died  as  its  pastor  August  26,  1854. 

Matthew  McKinstry  was  born  in  Juniata  county,  (Mexico,) 
was  educated  at  Western  University  and  Allegheny  Citj',  was 
licensed  April  14, 1835,  ordained  and  installed  over  Bethesda 
and  Laurel  Hill  April  27,  1836,  and  died  December  10,  1872. 

Gilbert  McMasters,  D.  D.,  was  born  near  Belfast,  Ireland,  on 
the  13th  of  February,  1778,  in  1791  his  father's  family  moved 
to  this  country  and  settled  in  Franklin  county,  he  was  edu- 
cated at  Canonsburg,  first  studied  medicine  and  practiced  two 
years  in  Mercer,  was  licensed  in  October,  1807,  and  was,  on  the 
8th  of  August,  1808,  ordained  and  installed  over  the  Reformed 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Duanesburg,  New  York,  and  in  1840 
removed  to  Princeton,  Indiana,  and  died  March  17,  1854. 

Joseph  S.  Maughlin  was  born  in  York  county,  was  educated 
at  Franklin  College  and  Canonsburg  Seminar}'',  was  licensed  in 
October,  1851,  and  was  ordained  on  the  21st  of  October,  1852, 
labored  for  some  years  in  southern  Indiana,  and  is  without 
charge  at  Onawa,  Iowa. 

Thomas  V.  Moore,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Newville  in  1818,  was 
graduated  at  Dickinson  College,  studied  theology  at  Princeton, 
was  ordained  in  1842,  was  pastor  of  Presbyterian  churches  in 
^Carlisle,  Green  Castle,  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  JN^ashville, 
'Tenn.,  in  this  latter  place  he  died  in  1871. 

John  Augustine  Moore,  (brother  of  T.  V.,)  was  born  in  New- 
ville  in  1830,  was  educated  at  Princeton  College  and  Seminary, 
was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  congregation  of  Cub  Creek, 
Virginia,  and  died  in  1863. 

Peoples  was  born  in  the  Cove,  in  Fulton  county,  was 

educated  under  the  auspices  of  Messrs.  McNaughton  and  Web- 
ster, and  is  preaching  in  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  at 
NOrthwood,  Ohio. 

Elder  Piper,  was  born  near  Big  Spring,  was  educated  at 
Dickinson  College  and  the  Seminary  in  New  York,  and  died 
■upon  the  threshhold  of  the  ministry  in  1820. 

Francis  Pringle,  jr.,  was  born  in  Ireland,  about  1789,  came 
with  his  father  to  Carlisle  in  1802,  was  educated  at  Dickinson 
College  and  under  Dr.  Anderson,  was  ordained  and  settled  over 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY.  1  -•> 

the  Associate  congregations  of  Xenia  and  Sugar  Creek,  Ohio, 
m  November,  1811,  and  died  March  15,  1818. 

James  Pringle,  (another  son  of  Francis  Pringle,  Sr.,)  was 
born  in  Ireland  about  1788,  was  educated  at  Dickinson  College 
and  under  Dr.  Anderson,  was  ordained  in  April,  1814,  and  in- 
stalled over  the  congregation  of  Steel  Creek,  North  Carolina, 
iind  died  October  28, 1818. 

David  Proudtit  was  born  in  York  county,  in  1771,  studied 
theology  under  John  Jamieson,  was  licensed  April  5,  1795,  or- 
dained and  installed  November  14,  1798,  over  Laurel  Hill,  and 
connections,  in  Fayette  county,  moved  to  Crooked  Creek,  Ohio, 
April,  1824,  and  died  June  11,  1830. 

Kobert  Proudiit,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  York  county  about  1778, 
was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College  in  1798,  studied  theology 
with  his  cousin,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander  Proudfit,  was  licensed 
April  21,  1802,  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  congregation  of 
Broadalbin,  New  York,  on  the  10th  of  April,  1804,  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  professorship  of  languages  in  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  New  York,  in  October,  1818,  where  he  remained 
more  than  forty  years,  having  been  pensioned  by  that  institu- 
tion after  he  became  superannuated. 

Samuel  B.  Reed,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Huntingdon  county, 
was  educated  at  Franklin  College  and  Canonsburg  Seminary, 
was  licensed  in  1856,  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  First  Associate 
church  in  Pittsburgh,  April  18,  1847,  and  is  now  at  Knoxville, 
Tennessee, 

John  Y.  ScouUer,  D.  D.,  was  born  near  Newville,  was  grad- 
uated at  Canonsburg  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  May 
1,  1844,  and  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  congregation  of  Fair 
Haven,  Ohio,  on  July  21,  1847,  where  he  still  remains. 

James  B.  Scouller  was  born  near  Newville,  was  graduated  at 
Dickinson  College  and  Allegheny  Seminary,  was  licensed  April 
19,  1842,  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Second  Associate  Re- 
formed congregation  of  Philadelphia  November  13,  1844,  Avas 
subsequently  pastor  hi  Cuylerville  and  Argyle,  New  York, 
and  is  now  infirm. 

Alexander  Sharp.  D.  D.,  was  born  near  Newville  June  12, 
1796,  was  graduated  at  Canonsburg,  studied  theology  under 


124  HISTORY    OP   THE 

Dr.  Mason,  and  finished  under  Dr.  Riddell,  was  licejised  in  tiie 
spring  of  1823,  was  ordained  September  8, 1S24,  and  installed 
pastor  of  Big  Spring  and  Chambersburg  September  29,  1824^ 
and  died  January  28,  1857. 

William  Smith  was  born  in  York  county,  was  educated  at 
Franklin  College  and  Canonsburg  Seminary,  was  licensed  July 
10,  1839,  was  ordained  a  pastor  in  Iowa,  August  25,  1841,  af- 
terwards settled  in  Western  Pennsylvania  and  in  Wisconsin , 
and  died  July  16,  1873. 

Samuel  F.  Smith  was  born  on  the  ocean  in  1799,  was  gradu- 
ated at  the  Western  University,  finished  his  theological  studies 
under  Dr.  Kerr,  in  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  August  17, 
1826,  was  shortly  afterwards  ordained  pastor  of  Cochrantony 
Crawford  county,  where  he  died  March  19,  1846. 

John  Steele  was  born  in  York  county  December  17,  1772^ 
was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College  in  1792,  studied  theology 
with  John  Young  while  at  Timber  Ridge,  Va.,  was  licensed 
May  25,  1797,  and  ordained,  sine  titulo,  on  the  12th  of  August ^ 
1799,  was  soon  afterwards  installed  as  pastor  of  Ilinkston  and 
connections  in  Kentucky,  moved  to  Xenia,  Ohio,  in  1817,  and 
died  there  on  the  11th  of  January,  1837. 

Robert  Steel  was  born  near  Newville  in  1813,  was  educated 
in  Canonsburg  and  Princeton  Seminary,  was  ordained  as  pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Lewistown,  Fulton  county,.  Illi- 
nois, in  1844,  and  died  there  in  1848. 

George  Stewart  was  born  at  Green  Castle  in  1782,  was  grad* 
uated  at  Dickinson  College,  studied  theology  under  Dr.  Mason^ 
was  licensed  in  June,  1809,  was  ordained  in  April,  1810,  a& 
pastor  of  the  congregation  in  Bloomingburg,  New  York,  where 
he  died  September  20,  1818. 

John  G.  Smart,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  Huntingdon  about  1804^ 
graduated  at  Canonsburg,  and  studied  theology  under  Dr, 
Banks,  was  licensed  in  1827  or  '8,  was  pastor  of  the  Associate 
congregation  in  Baltimore  for  a  number  of  years,  and  died  in 
the  summer  of  1862,  without  charge. 

James  P.  Smart  (a  younger  brother  of  J.  G.)  was  born  in 
Huntingdon,  graduated  and  studied  theology  at  Canonsburg, 
was  licensed  in  1837,  and  was  many  years  pastor  of  the  Asso- 


BIG    SPRING    PRESBYTERY,  12o 

ciate  congregation  of  Massie's  Creek,  Ohio,  wliere  he  died  in 
1861. 

Robert  B.  Taggart  was  not  a  native  of  this  region,  but  re- 
sided within  its  bounds  while  a  student  of  theology,  and 
studied  under  the  Presbytery's  supervision,  was  ordained,  Sej)- 
tember  2d,  1869,  as  pastor  of  N'orth  Kortright,  New  York,  and 
is  now  pastor  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Pennsylvania. 

T.  J.  0.  Webster  was  born  near  Mercersburg,  studied  the- 
ology at  Xenia,  was  licensed  in  1877,  and  was  ordained  and  in- 
stalled as  pastor  of  Santa  Ana,  California,  in  April,  1879. 

Isaac  A.  AV'ilson  was  born  in  Concord,  was  educated  at 
JFranklin  College  and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  in  1862, 
was  ordained  July  5th,  1866,  by  the  Mansfield  Presbytery,  and 
is  now  at  Pana,  Illinois. 

James  AVallace  was  born  in  York  county,  studied  theology 
at  Canonsburg,  was  ordained  by  the  Associate  Presbytery  of 
Miami,  October  25th  1832,  and  died  Is'ovember  80th,  1878. 

James  S.  Woodburn  was  born  near  Newville,  educated  at  Can- 
onsburg and  Allegheny  City,  was  licensed  April  8,  1861,  was 
ordained  pastor  in  Gettysburg,  Ma}'  10,  1864,  and  is  now  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  without  charge. 

John  Young  was  born  in  York  county  September  4,  1763, 
was  graduated  at  Dickinson  College,  studied  theology  under 
Dr.  Nisbet  of  Carlisle,  was  licensed  on  the  26th  of  April,  1790, 
was  ordained  j)astor  of  Timber  Ridge  and  Old  Providence, 
Virginia,  August  20th,  1792,  removed  in  1799  to  G-reen  Castle, 
where  he  died  July  24th,  1803. 

John  C.  Young,  D.  D.,  (son  of  John,)  was  born  in  Green 
Castle  August  12th,  1803,  was  educated  at  Dickinson  College 
and  Princeton  Seminary,  was  licensed  in  the  spring  of  1827, 
was  ordained  in  1828,  as  pastor  of  the  McCord  Church  in  Lex- 
ington, Kentucky,  and  in  1830,  was  elected  President  of  Centre 
College,  which  position  he  held  till  his  death  on  the  23d  of 
June,  1857. 

Robert  G.  Young  was  born  near  Gettysburg,  was  educated 
at  the  Western  University  and  Alleghenj'  City,  was  licensed 
June  29th,  1869,  was  ordained  to  the  pastorate  of  Butlor,  Sep- 
tember 5th,  1871,  and  is  now  without  charge. 


NOTE  TO  TAGE  33. 


When  this  history  was  passing  through  the  press,  a  late  pub- 
lication of  the  Dauphin  County  Historical  Society  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  writer,  by  which  he  is  enabled  to  locate  the  place 
and  to  give  the  final  history  of  the  meeting  house  in  which 
Matthew  Lind  preached  in  Paxton,  or  Paxtang,  as  the  Society 
has  decided  to  be  the  correct  spelling.  "  It  is  in  Lower  Pax- 
tang township,  six  miles  east  of  Harrisburg,  two  miles  north 
of  Paxtang  church,  on  the  road  from  Harrisburg  to  Horners- 
town  and  Union  Deposit."  "On  the  11th  of  September,  1795^, 
James  Byers  and  James  Wilson,  executors  of  William  Brown^ 
Esq.,  deceased,  (Mr.  Lind's  oldest  Elder),  of  Paxtang,  offered 
for  sale  a  log  house  near  the  residence  (of  Mr.  Brown)  formerly- 
occupied  as  a  house  of  worship  by  the  Rev.  Matthew  Lind."^ 
It  was  owned  in  1877  by  the  family  of  Jacob  Grove.  This  Loa 
HOUSE  "  was  used ,  within  the  memory  of  many  persons  yet  living, 
as  a  sheep-pen.  It  stood  north  of  the  grave  yard,  but  close  to> 
it.     It  has  disappeared." 


COLUMBIA   UNIVERSITY   LIBRARIES 


This  book  is  due  on  the  date  indicated  below,  or  at  the 
expiration  of  a  definite  period  after  the  date  of  borrowing,  as 
provided  by  the  library  rules  or  by  special  arrangement  with 
the  Librarian  in  charge. 

DATE  BORROWeO 

DATE  DUE 

DATE  BORROWED 

DATE  DUE 

-C28(946)M,00 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


0035520264 


938. ^\ 


0^5 


938.21 


Un3 


United  Presbyterian  church  of 
North  America. 
■iiistory^  of   t.ho   p^-^^j^-,-^^,  p^,^^_    ^ 

BINDS, 


BRiniE  DO  NOT 
PHOTOCOPY 


